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AUGUST NEWSLETTER

Updated: Aug 27, 2022


“Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.”

– Serena Williams


 


The Editor’s Take: Happy Summer AMWA-UTD!


By: Hibah Rasool


Welcome back to another edition of the AMWA-UTD Newsletter! I want to start by saying that it was an honor to be your Editor-in-Chief for the summer. I am so grateful to be here. Along with bringing back the old favorites, like the Sex Talk You've Never Had and Ask AMWA, we also have some really exciting new columns. Just a little sneak peek into what we have planned- one of our new columns will feature interviews from our guest speakers. For this edition, your writers chose to pair up and write three very relevant articles covering Back to School tips, Health Advocacy and The Overturning of Roe v. Wade. Most of all, we do put our hearts into this so we hope you truly enjoy reading. As always, feel free to email us with feedback, any questions, pieces that you want featured, and topics you want to see covered.




 

Back to School


By: Hafsa Mohammed and Janavi Mehta


It has been a short three months since the spring semester ended. Hopefully, everyone had a delightful break to shake off the finals fever and restore your mental spirit. As the new semester starts, we’d like to offer a few suggestions to transition back into the spirit. The following months will certainly be hectic, but taking the time to walk around campus and participate in Weeks of Welcome 2022 will hopefully aid in a smooth transition.

Here are a couple of tips that we have found helpful:


  • Organize your schedule. Getting a headstart on organizing your schedule through apps such as Google Calendar or Notion are huge lifesavers.


  • Find a study buddy. Find a friend to study with so that studying won’t seem like a chore. If studying with others distracts you, YT Study Along With Me videos are also an option. While the persistent joke is that it’s hard to find friends at UTD, participating in events such as Weeks of Welcome, AMWA GBMs, socials, etc. make the process significantly easier


The one feeling all of students are familiar with is stress. We agonize over our grades and exams. Besides the mental effects of stress, there can be some surprising physical effects of stress too. When faced with challenging situations, our bodies respond by releasing cortisol and activating our sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight). Cortisol is beneficial to us by heightening our immune response. However, chronic stress induces a constant expression of cortisol which has the opposite effect and can cause suppression of the immune system. This occurs because an overactive immune system consumes too much energy and can edge towards an autoimmune response. Thus, being stressed for long periods of time can lead you to fall ill more easily. Whether this be new or old information to you, I would just like to impart a few more words to keep in mind as we start another year. Find healthy coping methods. Commit to at least one non-academic activity so that you can give your brain a break—join a dance team, pick up journaling, or go to the gym. Finally, be kind to yourself. As pre-health students we are used to pushing ourselves and striving for perfection but every now and then allow yourself to breathe.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the following are effective in reducing stress.


  1. Good quality sleep

  2. A well-balanced diet

  3. Exercise

  4. Taking breaks

  5. Relaxing activities

  6. Limited use of caffeine and alcohol

The start of the year is always a mix of excitement and nerves as we prepare and tell ourselves what we will do differently this year. We hope you’ll join us to create a year as unforgettable as the last and find success in all your endeavors!


Sources

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/6392-stress-coping-with-lifes-stressors



 


Health Advocacy: How to Use Your Voice To Generate Change



By: Zoe Du and Tanya Baiju



“It’s all in your head”


On average women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed after a heart attack. They are 30% more likely to be misdiagnosed or overlooked after a stroke, often hearing phrases like the one above. Why is it that women's health issues are attributed to either PMS, stress, or hysteria? Research suggests that doctors often consider women “too emotional” and classify them as a “medical mystery.” Additionally, patients with chronic pain are more likely to be dismissed as psychosomatic. The underlying factors requiring change lie within the medical education and patterns that future physicians are taught. Despite this, it is important for patients and society to know about advocating for their health. Expressing and advocating one’s concerns about their body, even if they are dismissed by those around them, can eventually lead to the right treatment and save their lives.


Health advocacy is a method of ensuring that people can access affordable, effective, and high-quality healthcare. While there are health advocate professionals, one can advocate for themselves. It is important to improve health outcomes by using advocacy either through the form of research or getting multiple perspectives on an issue. Health advocacy can encourage evidence-based patient education as well as reduce the stress that comes with visiting the doctor and receiving treatment. Furthermore, communication between the provider and patient is essential for better health outcomes. With a lack of health literacy, patients can not understand the information given by their healthcare provider, and thereby can’t make informed decisions. Being an advocate for yourself in a doctor’s office is important in both combating health diagnostic issues and stepping forward to enhance public health.


Health advocacy exists on several levels: self, individual, and systems. As the name implies, self-advocacy is advocating one’s own interests, and in health advocacy, that means speaking up for your health concerns to be taken seriously. Confronting medical professionals can be intimidating, but there are steps that can make it easier.

  1. Research your symptoms. WebMD is notorious for leading people down rabbit holes and coming to worst-case scenarios; a headache is suddenly brain cancer. While information from the internet needs to be taken with a grain of salt, it is still important to be informed about symptoms and what they could mean. Physicians are professionally trained, but they are not walking encyclopedias nor are they all-knowing. Doing research before an appointment can identify possible pathologies that might otherwise be ignored and it arms you with more confidence.

  2. Research providers. Before scheduling an appointment, research the provider to determine whether you trust them with your health. If reviews indicate a history of dismissiveness or biases, then that provider may not be the best option. It may also be helpful to ask friends and family for recommendations.

  3. Take notes. Come to appointments prepared with documentation of your symptoms and timeline. The human memory is imperfect, so recording your symptoms as you experience them prevents you from leaving out parts of your history. By keeping records, you are providing physicians an extra tool to arrive at a diagnosis. Also, take notes during the appointment to make sure you don't miss anything.

  4. Trust your body and your instincts. No one knows your body like you do. If you suspect that something is wrong and it is not being addressed, then keep voicing your concerns. Oftentimes, patients will stay silent because they do not want to create a hassle; your health concerns should not be a hassle at the doctor’s office. Your health is the provider's responsibility.

  5. File complaints if needed. Hospitals have quality improvement systems. If you have received unsatisfactory care, you are within your rights to file a complaint. For more information, check out https://www.medicare.gov/claims-appeals/file-a-complaint-grievance/filing-complaints-about-a-doctor-hospital-or-provider


Importantly, while self-advocating, remember that you are not alone. Find a support system and be a part of someone else’s support system as an individual advocate. In addition to providing emotional support, they can use their voice to amplify yours in the doctor’s office.


Advocacy extends beyond ourselves and our immediate acquaintances as well. When I (Zoe) began to experience chronic joint pain, no one believed me. I had to use some of the tactics listed above to advocate for myself until I received a diagnosis three years later. Upon the realization that advocacy is powerful and that I have the power to use my voice, I became an advocate for the right to health with Partners In Health Engage. Here are some ways for people to use their voice:

  1. Sign petitions and attend rallies. There is power in numbers. Join others to amplify each other’s messages.

  2. Contact your representatives. This is one of the easiest ways to communicate with policymakers with the power to make systemic changes. You can send them your personal narrative, why you care about a cause, and what you want your representative to do about it. Some organizations will also have scripts that make the process even easier.

  3. Meet with Congress members. As I am writing this, I am actually fresh off of two meetings with offices of members of Congress to discuss global health legislation. It may seem intimidating at first, but all of us are capable of accomplishing it, especially with a group of supporters. Our representatives are ultimately humans just like us, and they have a responsibility to address their constituents’ concerns. Meetings are an opportunity to make your concerns heard.

  4. Write letters to the editor. Letters to the editor (LTE’s) are another great option to spread your message to your local community and representatives.


Advocacy can be scary, but it is empowering. There will be failures and hurdles, but there will also be successes. Whether you are advocating for your own health, for a loved one, or for the community, you can make your voice heard and help create change.







 


The Overturning of Roe v. Wade


By: Alyssa Chiev and Siya Kumar


On June 24th of 2022 Roe V. Wade was overturned. Nationwide outrage sparked, social media went into a frenzy, and protests formed. The two main points of concern were the varying social views and the health risks.

The history of Roe V. Wade began in 1970. Norma McCorvey was pregnant for the third time and sought an abortion. At the time, she was unemployed and struggling with her mental health. Under the alias of Jane Roe, she sued Henry Wade (the district attorney of Dallas at the time). It was his duty to enforce the state law that banned abortion, except in situations where the mother’s life was in danger. By the time the Supreme Court ruled in her favor, she had already given birth. This case is significant because not only did the court rule in Jane Roe’s favor but also ruled that the constitution of the United States grants the right to have an abortion.



The Political and Moral Aspect


The overturning of Roe V. Wade caused widespread shock and disbelief. This decision merges church and state- an outright violation of the first amendment. The constitution states that people can freely practice their religion, and overturning this decision does not allow some to receive an abortion despite their religion allowing them to.

Congressman Greg Murphy from North Carolina tweeted two days after the overturning of Roe V. Wade that “No one forced anyone to have sex” @RepGregMurphy (Jun 26, 2022). It’s alarming that a representative of North Carolina, a voice in our government, is blatantly ignoring that sexual assault exists. In a study done by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women, it was discovered that 32,000 pregnancies result every year due to rape. Women forced to carry a child from sexual assault can experience further damage to their mental and physical health. Even children who were sexually assaulted are being forced to carry out the pregnancy.

According to the CDC, in 2021 about 30 million Americans did not have health coverage. Pregnancies can cost up to $50,000 without health insurance. Many can not afford to provide for a child which resorts to them getting an abortion. Individuals are forced to raise a child that they do not have the financial means to provide for. Additionally as a result of anti-abortion laws, many children end up in the grim foster care system.




The Health Risks


There are obviously many health risks with Roe V. Wade being overturned. Abortion is undeniably health care and being restricted from health care in some cases is a threat to the mother’s life and the potential life of the fetus.

The overturning of Roe V. Wade makes it difficult to ensure that women will be getting safe abortions. According to Planned Parenthood in the article “Roe V. Wade: It’s History and Impact”, in 1965, 5 years before Roe V. Wade, about 17% of deaths due to pregnancy and childbirth were caused by illegal abortions. Regardless of abortion being allowed in certain states, this does not guarantee every mother that seeks out an abortion will have the finances or time to travel to these states.


Some mothers are not physically or mentally able to carry out a pregnancy. Typically this is seen in children, mothers that suffered miscarriages, rape victims, and mothers that have physical conditions that does not allow them to carry. World Health Organization and Prevention in Adolescent Pregnancy states, “Early childbearing can increase risks for newborns as well as young mothers. Babies born to mothers under 20 years of age face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm delivery and severe neonatal conditions.” Asking these adolescents and women that physically cannot carry their pregnancy to full term causes trauma and harm to the potential babies.


With the overturn of Roe V. Wade, knowing which contraceptives are available is significant for preventing unplanned pregnancies. Listed below are a few methods of contraceptives:


  • Plan B- Costs about $40-$50

  • Condoms

  • Intrauterine Device- Planted inside the uterus. Depending on your insurance plan an IUD could be free of charge or up to $1,300.

  • Nexplanon- Birth control implant is inserted in the arm and should be replaced every three years.

  • Birth control pills- Some common side effects of birth control are bloating, nausea, and elevated blood pressure.

  • Surgical contraceptive methods- Tubal ligation and Vasectomy



Additional Resources:







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