What does Women’s Health Mean to Me?

What does women’s health mean to me? To me, Sasha Jarrett, women’s health means access to basic necessities without barriers, allowing me to live a long, quality life. It means having a home with a comfortable bed where I can rest. It means having access to clean water and nutritious food to nourish my body. It means being able to obtain feminine hygiene products like pads, tampons, and menstrual cups. It means being educated about my body so I can recognize when something is wrong. It means having health benefits that enable me to make appointments with my provider to address any concerns. It also means that my healthcare providers set aside any discriminatory myths about Black women and how they experience pain. Women’s health means everything to me. Women’s health means life to me.

My mother is from Colón, Panama, a small city where poverty is pervasive. Every few years, I visit her home and family there. During one trip, I fell ill and needed to see a provider. My mom took me to a local hospital, and what I encountered was unlike anything I had experienced in the U.S. The hospital was the size of an urgent care clinic, which is a large difference compared to the mass hospitals available in the U.S. I was able to be seen by a doctor, and have my illness  identified, though there was no medication available, and I was told I would need to travel two hours to Panama City to possibly find it. I was confused because as a middle-class individual in the U.S., I had never faced such a situation. My mother, however, was not surprise as she grew up in this environment, and it was the norm for her. I left that experience contemplating how difficult it must be for women and men in that town to access basic health needs and how much better support is needed for those living in poverty.

Every woman (cisgender women and transgender women) deserves health, whatever that means to her. Whether she is rich or poor, Black, white, or brown, regardless of where she lives or her beliefs, she deserves quality healthcare. Health isn’t a privilege; it’s a right. As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I’ve learned that significant gaps in women’s health often go unaddressed. Conditions such as vaginismus, incontinence, and pelvic pain are issues that many women endure in silence, often due to a lack of education and access to support.

In my journey to understand the gaps in women’s health within the field of physical therapy I have developed a deep interest in this crucial issue. As a healthcare provider and a woman who cares deeply for others, I aspire to be part of the solution, using my expertise to make a difference, no matter how small.

With this blog, I hope to be able to be a resource for all women (cisgender women and transgender women) and provide information they may not get elsewhere for free.