2022 Edition
“I raise up my voice - not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. … We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back”
Malala Yousafzai
The Editor’s Take: September Newsletter
Welcome back AMWA to your September Edition of the AMWA UTD Newsletter! I hope the first month back has been treating you well. First off, I would like to say that it is an honor to be your Editor-In-Chief this year and I am excited for you all to read the numerous articles presented by your writers that are very much important and can help start conversations.
In this edition, your writers cover topics like Gynecologic Cancer Awareness, Feminism and its impact on healthcare, Suicide Prevention Month, and How Diversity can Further Healthcare. In addition to this, we are bringing back our classic paired articles: The Sex Talk You Never Had (Menstruation and Misinformation) and a look into Global News (Pakistan's Humanitarian Crisis).
Spend time with these articles and feel free to comment below your thoughts. If you have any questions, topics for future articles, or pieces that you would like to see featured, email me at tanya.baiju@utdallas.edu.
- Tanya
Pakistan’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis
By: Siya Kumar and Hafsa Mohammed
“Young children are living out in the open with their families with no drinking water, no food, and no livelihood – exposed to a wide range of new flood-related risks and hazards” (Unicef's Fadil).
The torrential monsoon floods in Pakistan are causing one of the worst humanitarian disasters and is quickly becoming a breeding ground for infectious diseases which altogether have resulted in over 1600 deaths across the region, a third of which have been children. More than 80% of Pakistan's population is facing “severe water scarcity”, and the amount of water available to the population has plunged from 5,229 to 1,187 cubic meters. The record-breaking monsoon has caused many people to have very little access to food, proper shelter, and clean drinking water.
Diseases such as leptospirosis, malaria, leishmaniasis, respiratory Infections, and hepatitis have all been spreading around the region due to the floods and the water crisis. As most of the region is flooded with water, it has become a breeding place for waterborne diseases such as Dengue. Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes, such as the Aedes mosquito. Respiratory infections such as Pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary airway disease are increasing in the region due to many people not having proper shelter and exposure to flood water. Experts are saying that the availability of fresh water in Pakistan will decrease to 860 cubic meters by 2025.
In light of Pakistan’s population of 220.9 million people (2020), this is alarming news. The country's rapid population increase and a majority of the country's population in the agricultural field are all critical events leading to severe water scarcity. The Sustainable Development Goals of Pakistan's vision for 2025 is to “addresses the issues of water security and aims for increasing water storage capacity, improving agricultural efficiency by 20 percent, and ensuring the availability of clean drinking water to all Pakistanis” said Brayshna Kundi reporter from The Asia Foundation. The future outlook for Pakistan's water crisis is despairing indeed, but there have been steps taken to combat this.
On August 30th, the Pakistani government and the UN jointly launched the 2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan (FRP) to focus on the emergent needs of civilians. The plan outlines the populations affected and the finances necessary to successfully carry out the plan. The report states that 33 million people are affected by the floods and 6.4 million people require urgent care. The FRP plan targets 5.2 million people and requires $160.3 million dollars in funds. 72 districts have been “calamity-hit” and have made over 421,000 people refugees. The FRP highlights the main issues and also includes plans covering food insecurities, housing services, education support, health services, etc.
Unfortunately, it is still a developing situation, so not much information has been released to the public. What we do know is that health and water sanitation is one of the key goals detailed in the plan. Unfortunately, Western media has done a poor job highlighting this humanitarian crisis and many individuals are unaware of what is going on. We encourage our readers to read up on international news and other health crises occurring worldwide. Below we have provided a few resources, which we recommend our readers to check out if interested in supporting Pakistan and the people affected by the floods:
● WaterAid is an organization that aims to provide clean water to the 21.7 million people who are without it at this time
● The MATW-Project is an organization that has been at the forefront in providing food, water, and shelter to those displaced by the floods.
● UNICEF is also working to donate life-changing supplies and services to those affected.
All links will also be provided below in the sources. While the floods are the immediate concern of the country, not long after the floods secede will the after-effects of the floods be truly realized. Health issues and diseases are running ravage over the citizens. If clean water and reliable food sources are not provided, the situation may become even more dire than it already is.
Gynecologic Cancer Awareness
By: Siya Kumar
September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness month and was started to create awareness and encourage research. Gynecological cancers consist of cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and uterine.
In the United States, about 71,500 women are diagnosed with gynecological cancers. This type of cancer starts in the female reproductive organs such as the pelvis, the area between the stomach, and between the hip bones. Gynecological cancer can be cured through surgery/radiation especially if cured early. The most common type of gynecological cancer is uterine cancer and the least is vaginal cancer.
Uterine cancer begins in the layer of cells that form the lining (endometrium) of the uterus. There are fewer than 200,000 US cases per year, and the survival rate is 95% for 5 years. Vaginal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the vagina. Risk factors for vaginal cancers are HPV infection and being of older age since vaginal cancer is common among older women.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend having your first gynecologist appointment between the ages of 13-15. You should then go every year up until the age of 29, then switch to going every other year. It is important to go to the gynecologist to screen for any possible signs of infections, cysts, or cancers.
This September, the Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer and the American Association for Cancer Research is presenting the Virtual Cancer Research Series. The purpose of this is to bring together researchers and doctors from around the world to share knowledge and encourage the growth of ovarian cancer research. In October 2023, the American Associate Cancer Research will be held in Boston, Massachusetts to support cancer patients and people part of the cancer Workforce.
Feminism in the Medical Field
By: Janavi Mehta
The discussions about women in the medical field are more important to have now more than ever. Not only because of the after-effects of the overturn of Roe v Wade but also looking forward past the post-COVID world and the advancement of women in our society. More and more medical school cohorts consist of women and while this is wonderful news to hear, we should not ignore the persistent hidden problems which cannot be fixed easily. Some of these include the “feminization” of the medical field, pay gaps even after controlling for experience and age, and the need to focus on intersectionality (Jaouhari).
Many women continue to be underrepresented in senior leadership positions and clustered in lower-paying specialties (Jaouhari). Additionally, women are slower to advance in academic medicine, perhaps also due to a lack of mentorship (also caused by a lack of women who can mentor from a senior position). As women become more represented in the field, and in some countries are expected to be the majority within 10 years, questions were raised on if and how to prevent the feminization of medicine (Reichenbach). The feminization of a career path refers to when women began to predominate in the field and that field loses status, influence, and monetary compensation as a result. The answer is not to dissuade women from joining but allowing more to join and shift the systems and allow for women to take on more leadership roles.
Many of these points need further research to relate both gender and medicine together as much of the older literature still presents a binary view of gender. Race, age, social-economic status, sexuality, and many other factors also make up the diverse workforce of medicine. There can be various effects throughout the various spectrums and it is an important aspect of the intersectionality mentioned earlier. The important protests and discussions of previous generations have allowed women to achieve many of their dreams, but we must keep up this discussion and expand it if we are to resist the new tide of politics and work closer to achieving equity for all.
The Sex Talk You Never Had:
Menstruation and Misinformation
By: Alyssa Chiev and Janavi Mehta
Did you know that tampons contain an ingredient called titanium dioxide, a chemical that can cause cancer? A viral TikTok video by @rachelmorgann__ garnered over 7.9 million views for exposing the tampon industry for potentially causing all menstruating people harm.
I bet you believed me, didn’t you? Well, luckily for you that isn’t the truth. But perhaps you see how easy it is for false information that may sound true to spread rapidly across the internet. This particular video and many others similar to it raised concerns over the safety of tampons. However, they did not do their research properly, so we have come to deliver it to you.
So what is titanium dioxide and what does it do? Titanium dioxide (dioxin) is a bleaching agent found in many of our common household and cosmetics products. Titanium dioxide in tampons is used to bleach the string. Additionally, it can be found in food like milk, coffee creamer, and salad dressing, though only up to 1% is regulated by the FDA. Some testing done on mice reported that excessive ingestion of titanium dioxide resulted in lung cancer for mice. However, since those findings are hard to extrapolate to human cells, the role of titanium dioxide in causing cancer in humans remains unclear. Overall, the amount of titanium dioxide is minimal in most products, inducing tampons, and found in many of the items we consume or use; thus, making the chemical unworthy of being the cause of the media uproar.
Misinformation circulates everywhere on the internet in this day and age. It is very easy to spread misinformation because of the nature of some social media sites like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram. However, spreading misinformation is dangerous, especially if it concerns health. This can affect or cause people to alter their way of living. Not only does this matter concern health, but it also concerns women’s health. Historically, when it comes to women’s health, there are sadly a lot of misconceptions, misdiagnoses, and false information. Why does misinformation spread and how do we prevent it?
1. Fact Checking: Before taking what is said as fact, it is always important to fact-check by considering the sources being used. Be sure to ask: Are these sources reliable? Has it been confirmed by professionals?
2. Educating yourself: Educating yourself on topics makes it easier to
spot misinformation.
3. If you see something, say something: Surprisingly, there are lots of
people that spot misinformation but do not say anything. This is called:
the bystander effect.
There is a disappointing amount of misinformation that circulates the internet about women’s health. The most recent is the viral TikTok claiming that the ingredient “titanium dioxide” in tampons is linked to ovarian cancer. To prevent misinformation from further spreading, it is up to us to fact-check, educate ourselves, and if we see something, say something.
Suicide Prevention Month
By: Hafsa Mohammed
National Suicide Prevention week began on September 4th and ended on September 10th.
As we go about our lives, a looming question circulates in the air. In recent years, suicide rates have exponentially shot up. In the early 2000s, it was jaw-dropping to hear of a teenager taking her life. The community would ask questions and people would be shocked at such a young individual being pushed to make such an extreme decision. However now, we hear of these cases on the regular. To the point that the shock value has disappeared and people resign themselves to this new normal. The reality is now waiting for successful suicide attempts to become just another number on the chalkboard for people to grimly shake their heads at.
Statistics such as suicide being a leading cause of preventable death in the US, circulate the country the way obesity rates do now. We all shake our heads and exclaim that we must do something, yet nothing ever occurs. 12.2 million people seriously considered suicide and 1.2 million people actually followed through with the plan the year Covid 19 ravaged the world. According to the CDC, on average there are around 130 suicide cases per day. Among those cases, men are four times more likely to commit suicide compared to women. In 2020 alone, 46,000 lives were lost to suicide.
As it is National Suicide Prevention Month, it is important to educate oneself and recognize the warning signs and beginnings of mental health crisis before the problem escalates to an irreversible stage.
Risk Factors:
Past and current incidents of depression and other mental illnesses
Serious illness
Divorce or loss of family members
Financial problems
Substance Abuse
It is not enough just to recognize warning signs and risk factors. The critical step is prevention. As members of society, we shouldn’t wait until the inevitable has happened, but nurture an environment and support system that would prevent people from committing suicide in the first place. Something healthcare professionals and future healthcare workers must lobby for are expanding access and decreasing costs to mental health professionals. Creating supportive and protective environments is also key in making people feel valued and cared for despite any struggles going on during their life.
Recently, SAMSHA came out with a suicide and crisis hotline. The goal is to make the number 988, as recognizable as 911 in the mental health space. While the hotline still has its issues, namely the availability of crisis providers available to operate the hotline, it is still a great step to transforming mental health care in America. With the mental health crisis rising in America, future and current healthcare professionals alike should be prepared to deal with and prevent the fallback.
How Diversity Can Further Healthcare
By: Alyssa Chiev
As members of AMWA, we know what it is like being a woman entering the field of medicine, a field where men mainly dominated for decades. Not only are we women, but some of us are women of various races/ethnical backgrounds. Diversity in medicine is one of the oldest topics in the healthcare field. Despite the topic being old and somewhat controversial, it is still relevant today. When it comes to the healthcare field in the U.S. in general, about 64.4% of health professionals are white followed by 16.1% Hispanics, 11.6% Blacks, 5.3% Asians, and 1.8% of other races according to the National Center for Health Workforce for 2015. However, these statistics consider race as a whole, not ethnicity. Therefore, the healthcare field is, in reality, less diverse than the statistics may indicate since some ethnicities are underrepresented. When we look at the statistical breakdown for women in this field, we see that 52.8% of health professionals are men while mostly women make up the rest.
Despite women making up almost half of the field, there are major discrepancies between various professions. For example, women make up: 35.8% of physicians, 27.4% of dentists, etc. Although these numbers made major strides compared with what they were years ago, diversity in healthcare has yet to be achieved. Why do these disparities exist? There are vital resources that some have access to or knowledge of while others do not. Of course, this varies within socioeconomic class, race, gender, etc. Not having these resources could make it harder for students to adjust to university life or continue on the career path that they choose.
According to Breaking Barriers for Underrepresented Minorities in the Health Professions by UCSF, these resources are:
● Exposure to medicine: People from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds may not have any health professionals in their families or their families’ social networks. Some are the first persons in their families to go to college. As one interviewer at UCSF puts it “You can’t be what you can’t see.”
● Providing tailored student support / academic success: By support, this does not have to just be academic, it can be social and emotional. Here on campus, this resource can come from peers from AMWA, mentors, academic advisors, or HPAC. The list of support on campus is endless!
● Engaging faculty: Engaging faculty is proven to create a welcoming environment for students of various backgrounds and provide resources for students. At UTD, this would be the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Why does diversity matter so much? To further the quality of healthcare means increasing diversity. There are numerous ways that diversity can do this:
Patients will be more comfortable: Patients of color are not likely to seek out care compared to white patients. A study conducted by Stanford found that Black male patients who were given treatment by Black doctors were more likely to seek preventative services than those who were treated by non-Black doctors.
The provider’s level of comfort increases: It has been found that providers learning in a diverse environment are comfortable with treating patients
Quality treatment: Patients with limited English proficiency, has a higher chance to be misdiagnosed. Increasing diversity in healthcare can prevent this from further happening leading to increased quality of treatment.
Creativity and Innovation: Introducing different perspectives into medicine can increase solutions and create effective or creative solutions.
To advance healthcare even further, it is essential to have representations of all kinds. Patients will be more comfortable and feel that their voices are heard. This in turn will also increase the comfort levels of the providers so they can treat patients of various backgrounds as well. These disparities exist because there is an overall lack of resources to encourage students of diverse backgrounds to pursue medicine. Remember, AMWA is a great resource and support throughout the journey to pursue medicine, so do not be afraid to reach out to peers!
Sources
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