2020 Edition
"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." -Ruth Bader Ginsburg
ABOUT US
Here at AMWA UTD, we want to do our very best to inform you of all of the issues relevant to women and healthcare, together and separately. We hope that our monthly newsletter becomes an enlightening source to you all as we learn about the multitudes of important topics and issues that we all need to be aware of.
IMPORTANT CLUB EVENTS
11/6 @ 5 PM - GBM #3 & Guest Speaker: DO Dr. Zambrano
11/9 @ 5 PM - Yoga Stress Buster Event
11/18 @ 5 PM- Painting & Pumpkins
RSVP UNDER OUR CALENDAR TAB
IMPORTANT NATIONAL EVENTS
11/9 @ 4-5 PM - Women Veterans Webinar Hosted by NSU-MD AMWA
11/15 - Premedical Education Scholarship
11/17 @ 8-9 PM - AMWA LEADS Program Committee Biweekly Webinar
AMWA Volunteering Program - Contact admin@amwa-doc.org
VISIT OUR NATIONAL AMWA INFO TAB FOR MORE INFO
NATIONAL OBSERVANCES
- American Diabetes Month
- Epilepsy Awareness Month
- Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month
- Lung Cancer Awareness Month
- World Antibiotic Awareness Week (Nov. 11–17)
- World Prematurity Day (Nov. 17)
- International Survivors of Suicide Day (Nov. 21)
WELCOME TO THE AMWA UTD NEWSLETTER
BY: AFAF NABEEHA
I am so beyond excited, honored, and proud to say that the UT Dallas chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association has its very own newsletter! In our first semester of this chapter, which we founded just a few months ago in August of 2020, we have already accomplished so much. I am so happy to have been able to welcome this community of pre-health women at UTD to this organization, and I hope to only continue building this strong relationship between the officer team and the many dedicated members of AMWA UTD. In just a few short months, we have been able to have guest speaker events, social events, and graduate test prep workshops with our partner, the Princeton Review, and we have many more exciting events to come. We have launched an extensive mentor-mentee program and have formed an incredible newsletter committee with some very talented and dedicated AMWA UTD members.
Our goal with this newsletter is to uphold our mission to ensure we advocate for equity and excellence. We would like to inform our members of issues and causes that are important to address as women in medicine and to further educate them on current events that are significant to our organization. We want to engage our members and provide advice through a medium that is both interesting and able to capture the essence of our AMWA UTD community. Our newsletter features the voices of our members, each of whom have unique voices and opinions to share, and we hope that it continues to evolve and grow to be fully representative of our organization and members. I am so excited to see this growth and to see our newsletter committee flourish and become the voice of AMWA UTD.
AMERICAN DIABETES MONTH
BY: JANVI PATEL & MEGAN ANN ZACHARIAH
You’re not you when you’re hungry. This slogan has been a trademark of the Snickers company for many years and now is widely recognized and relatable to most - especially diabetics.
Diabetes mellitus is a widely prevalent disease, characterized by high blood glucose levels, excessive hunger, thirst, urination, and sometimes fatigue. Because there is currently no cure for it, diabetes affects millions in the USA alone. According to the CDC, in 2018 an estimated 34.2 million people of all ages had diabetes. This is approximately 10% of the US population, including thousands of mothers, fathers, and children. The affected population consists of 2 main categories, Type 1 diabetics, and Type 2 diabetics. Though Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are caused by different factors, both present themselves in similar manners. Type 1 diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes and is caused by genetics. In contrast, Type 2 diabetes is also called adult-onset diabetes and tends to be a result of poor behaviors. Despite different causes, however, both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes result in high blood sugars and the inability to either produce or process insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas to ideally bring down blood sugar levels. If blood sugar levels are not properly managed, the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease increases greatly. Though there is no cure for diabetes, insulin shots are widely used to manage blood sugar for diabetics.
With such a large population of affected individuals, it should be obvious that access to insulin shots and treatments should be equally prevalent. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the US as insulin prices are controlled by the three pharmaceutical companies that control the market. Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi are considered the “big pharma” for insulin, not only regulating the market rate for insulin but also preventing competing companies from entering the market. As insulin prices soar due to market greed, millions of Americans are left with a financial strain that, unfortunately for many, cost them their lives. Josh Weaver was a type I diabetic that often had to debate whether he would pay for his $1000 monthly rent or insulin prescription. In the end, Josh resorted to cheaper, ineffective alternatives that resulted in a fatal case of diabetic ketoacidosis due to dangerously low levels of insulin and elevated breakdown of ketone bodies. What had cost Josh his life contributes to an industry that channels billions of dollars into the pockets of insulin manufacturers. However, the insulin market was never intended to be this way. Sir Frederick Banting discovered insulin in 1923 and believed it was unethical to withhold such a vital drug from the general population. In order to remove any financial barriers, he sold his insulin patent for $1 to allow for affordable mass production. So why now is the same vial of insulin sold for $300 in the US, but only $32 in Canada? The answer lies in the government regulation of these pharmaceutical companies. With the near sovereign rule in the US, pharmaceutical companies have completely shed Sir Banting’s selfless mission for insulin, and instead force millions of Americans to resort to GoFundMe, charity, or travel to other countries to fill their prescriptions. What should only cost the amount of a Snickers bar actually costs too many Americans their lives.
EPILEPSY IN WOMEN
BY: SHRADDHA TREHAN & ZARAH RAHMAN
Imagine this: you’re sitting at a restaurant, enjoying your dinner with family, when the woman at the table next to you begins to seize. You look around but no one is doing anything. You look back and see that she is still seizing. What do you do? Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon scenario, and could very likely happen to any of us. Epilepsy is not a rare condition and affects roughly 3.4 million people in the United States alone. Learning about this condition and how to help others is one of the easiest things to do. “Stay. Safe. Side.” is a simple technique used to assess and care for a person experiencing a seizure. With this month being National Epilepsy Month, we believe that it is extra important for our community to take a step forward in understanding and learning more about this disease.
According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy is characterized as a disease of recurrent seizures which may be accompanied by the loss of consciousness. Seizures typically occur when electrical signals in the brain are disrupted, ultimately causing a person to lose bodily function and shake uncontrollably. Seizures can occur at any age and have a diverse range of triggers such as low blood sugar, alcohol or drug consumption, genetics, or injury to the head/brain. Epilepsy is classified as having “two or more unprovoked seizures” with the majority of people experiencing their first seizure between 10-25 years of age (adolescence). Specific physiological changes in young women include increased hormone production, growth and development of sex glands/organs, and menstrual periods. Hormones and menstruation have significant links to epilepsy, with studies showing that the rapid drop in progesterone at the start of menstruation or the spike in estrogen during ovulation can increase the likeliness of experiencing seizures. Behavioral changes are especially apparent in young women prone to seizures. Adolescent females diagnosed with epilepsy may present with “dysphoric episodes” such as heightened anxiety, depression, or loss of focus a few hours or days leading up to a seizure. Epilepsy diagnosed during one’s childhood (5-9 years of age) may explain behavioral challenges they face later on such as attention deficit, hyperactivity, and psychosis (typically described as “an out of body experience”). Overall, in both men and women, a lot of physical and behavioral changes occur during adolescence which can trigger the onset of epilepsy, thus asking the advice of a physician in identifying said triggers and implementing activities that can help reduce them is the best way to navigate this illness.
In older women, epilepsy can affect health, relationships, and parenting. Certain antiepileptic medications seem to interfere with hormone regulation. For example, women are more likely to develop osteoporosis (the weakening of bones) than men, and certain antiseizure medications may worsen the odds. Furthermore, the main female sex hormone, estrogen, influences neuronal excitability in our brain and plays a significant role in seizure control as well. In fact, for some women, most of their seizures occur during the entire second half of their menstrual cycle. This means that women could be having seizures for half of the month, every month. Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) also impact the kind of birth control a woman is prescribed by increasing the risk of the contraceptive not working. Epilepsy goes beyond physical symptoms, it can also cause emotional stress. Though it is not well understood how epilepsy may affect a woman’s need to have sex, hormonal interference may lower one’s sexual desire and cause strain in intimate relationships. New mothers with epilepsy may be skeptical about breastfeeding while taking antiepileptic drugs. Though most medications usually do not affect the baby due to exposure during pregnancy, it may still pose other risks. Moreover, in mothers diagnosed with epilepsy, stress can increase the likelihood of seizures. A mother with epilepsy must consider all scenarios and ensure all kinds of safety for her child on the chance that she has a seizure with the baby nearby. But, if her partner knew how to help her with her epilepsy, if her babysitter knew what to do when a seizure began, if the child grows up knowing how to help mama, all of this support can change everything for the way she lives her life.
Now you may be thinking, with all these seemingly uncontrollable attributes associated with epilepsy, is it possible to create some semblance of a social life without feeling unprepared for a seizure? In short, yes! Epilepsy is a manageable illness that millions of Americans live with every day. A few ways to manage seizures include limiting or cutting out alcohol as it may interfere with the success of anti-epileptic medication and avoiding the use of drugs. The best way to help your loved one with epilepsy is to learn what to do in case of a seizure by utilizing the “Stay. Safe. Side.” technique. “Stay” emphasizes the importance of timing and identification of the person seizing. “Safe” is clearing the environment and keeping the person away from harm, and “Side” ensures the airway is clear by turning the person seizing on their side to prevent any choking/blockage while also creating a buffer between the person’s head and floor. This technique also indicates that one should only call 911 if: a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, a person is repeatedly seizing, or if they are having difficulty breathing. This technique is just one of the many ways that show us that healthy living with epilepsy is possible (with a little help from others). With changes in diet (following physician advice and treatments), a good support system, and a positive outlook, all women, all people with epilepsy can lead their own, powerful lives.
So, you’re at a restaurant, and the woman sitting next to you starts seizing. But this time, you’ll know what to do. You’ll know “Stay, Safe, Side”. You’ll know to check for a medical ID, to move harmful objects away, to make sure nothing is blocking her airway, and to stay with her until she is awake and alert. Learning to do all of these is simple, easy, and can help save a life. All the information you need is at epilepsy.com, and if you want to find specific, virtual events or info sessions near you during this month, make sure to go to https://www.epilepsy.com/make-difference/public-awareness/national-epilepsy-awareness-month
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