Woman Know thy body!
The first time I heard the word “Hymen” was probably not from my mom but from a fictional novel or a conversation with a friend. I didn’t even know there was a difference between the “Virginia” and the “Anus” or that they were both in separate places until some months back. Still, my mom raised a great Lady, I must say. The first place where a lady/woman is expected to learn about her body is from the home but that isn’t obtainable especially in this part of the world. The moment a lady starts menstruating in this part of the world all she is told is – “Don’t get close to a man”.
If you are like me and the only option left was to learn about your body from biology then you are probably as clueless as I am. I never loved biology or the human anatomy, so my only other option was blocked out. I also didn’t feel comfortable asking questions as I don’t still feel comfortable saying some certain words. Well, one Sunday after service I took advantage of my cousin, a nurse, my age mate to ask my wondering questions, she was pretty much amazed at how clueless I was.
A woman’s anatomy is really very complex and may be a complicated one. Yet, one which we may be taught consciously or unconsciously to ignore. I am still a bit clueless but not as clueless as I was before. The truth is a lot of women do not know about their bodies, they also do not like their bodies and wish they can be like the super models they see on the big screen or in magazines. According to glamour studies, women agreed to have an average of 13 negative thoughts about their body.
A lot of women pay attention to the exterior than the interior parts of our body. I also fall a victim to this crime. We concentrate more our face, skin…While the private part seems to be the hideous part of the body. Every part is important.
Here are some reasons why you may want to know your body –
- It builds your confidence: when we teach young women to embrace their body, we would have more confident women.
- It saves you from been exploited or molested by the opposite sex: A lot of women have been taken advantage of due to the nativity. Proper education on the body would help in eradicating this. The myths surrounding our bodies need to be demystified.
I remember a precise story my mom told me happened to her while she was still a single lady (Now this really happened). She had gone to be examined due to severe menstrual pain (M.P for short) but to her dismay the doctor was asking for sex, his reason being that she was experiencing pain due to her being a virgin. A story a lot of gullible ladies have fallen for and would still fall for.
- Great Health: My cousin was able to explain to me that after I poop there is a particular way to clean up to avoid germs. I also got to know the health hazard of using tissue paper instead of sanitary pads during mensuration. This tiny and insignificant information has cost a lot of women their womb, hence the inability to bear children.
If I were a judge, I would sentence a lot of people to jail for “Body Abuse” (pun intended) but I’ll probably spend a long time there myself. Strive to know your body. It is important that you take time out occasionally to exam your body or see a consultant for body examination.
Woman, Know thy body!
*To have your health related issues answered by a DOCTOR send in your questions to stm@shalomtruths.com