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& Wellness Center |
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Our
Women's Health
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The
Original Black Woman is the Mother of Civilization. She brings
forth our young, nurtures and guides them in their growth and
development. She is the helpmate and companion of the Original
Black Man, and joins him in the search for knowledge, with the
goal of living a righteous life. Her role is all encompassing
and necessary for the strength of the nation. It is imperative
she maintain her physical, mental, and spiritual health, for by
doing so, she will in turn, ensure the physical, mental, and spiritual
health of the nation. Included within this segment is an array
of information which should help get you, The Original Black Woman,
on the road to an optimum state of physical, mental, and spiritual
health, and show you how it can be maintained.
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You and Your Body - The Importance
of Prevention
Proper nutrition is only one way to prevent health problems
for the Black Woman. Because physically womanhood starts with
the onset of menstruation, it is at that time when we must
start instilling the proper way to take care of yourself in
our young women, getting them into the habits of good health.
In order to care for your body, you must know about your body.
The female body is a marvel to study. Generally, we are slighter
than a male, with less physical strength, less muscle mass,
and more body fat, though, even with these physical differences,
we can still perform most, if not all, types of physical work
and play. The uniqueness of our body is in our ability to
carry and bear children, and it is also for this most important
task that we must guard our health. Young women still need
information concerning menstrual and personal hygiene. There
is a wealth of information available, both in print and here
on the Internet.
It is important these young women know the physiology of the
menstrual cycle and what is and is not normal. It is imperative
they know the importance of good nutrition, exercise, and
good hygiene to this cycle of their development. Recognizing
this importance enhances their ability to move through the
stages of their life, enjoying and reveling in their femininity.
Strides are being made in the area of the health of the female.
Because of this, conditions which contribute to discomfort
before, during, and sometimes after your period can be tamed.
The knowledge concerning how to end, and also protect yourself
from, the ravages of dysmenorrhea, or painful periods, is
knowledge that is a must for all young women. The recognition
of dysmenorrhea as a valid and treatable condition speaks
to the strides which actually have been made in the areas
of health for women.
The importance of hygiene always, but most importantly when
you are menstruating, is another concern and young women need
to be taught from the first. They need to know what products
are available to them for use during their periods, with the
opportunity to try several in order to determine what their
needs are on the various days of their cycle. Complete baths
or showers are required. There is no longer a recommendation
or need for douches. Douches have been found to remove the
natural elements from the vagina which have a protective function,
therefore accomplishing little, and possibly doing some harm,
None of the feminine hygiene products on the market are necessary
normally.
Women need to know that normally there is a natural smell
associated with the vagina, which the women are usually unaware.
If you are aware of a disagreeable, or smelly odor, which
is persistent, you need to notify you health care provider.
This may be a sign or symptom of a problem. While some of
the products for the treatment of vaginitis can be bought
over the counter, it is never a good idea to attempt to treat
yourself without the benefit of guidance from your health
care provider. Vaginal infections which will require treatment
include yeast infections, CHLAMYDIA, herpes, non-speciric
bacterial vaginosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, trichomonas,
and gonorrhea. Some of these infections can be quite serious
and can affect your ability to become pregnant and to have
children.
Though cancer of the breast is virtually non existent in the
adolescent years, young women should be taught at the start
of their menstruation to do monthly breast self-examination.
They need to see their mothers as the role model, comfortable
with, and consistently doing, this vital part of their preventive
care. The adolescent woman must have a health care provider
they feel extremely comfortable with and who shares your philosophy
of preventive health maintenance. Another female, who has
the time and the inclination to answer the many questions
of the adolescent woman and the understanding to give them
all of the information they need, is often the right choice.
All women need to have a health care provider who knows the
questions we don't know how to verbalize, and is concerned
that we have as much information as possible. This health
care provider should perform a breast examination at every
yearly physical, teaching and encouraging the technique of
self-examination at that time as well. This is a good opportunity
for these young woman to get to know their breasts and how
they feel to their touch, and the importance of maintaining
this practice throughout their lives should be stressed to
them.
Young adolescent women do not routinely need a pelvic examination
unless they are sexually active or have a gynecological problem.
What is required is the knowledge of how their body works
and the kinds of things necessary to keep it in top notch
condition. When the need arises for a pelvic examination to
be performed, if there is not any contraindication for doing
so, the first Pap Test should be done. This is a test for
cervical cancer and other problems which need care, such as
HPV or vaginal or cervical warts. It should be impressed on
these young women the value of this test and the need to have
it done on a regular basis into, and throughout, their adulthood.
She will need to see you take the same care and concern in
scheduling your own yearly examinations.
Prevention is by far the easiest, most cost effective way
to approach your health and the health of your family. It
is a far simpler and much less expensive thing to do to keep
your family well than to try to treat an illness. Most of
the prevention guidelines are very easy to follow, although
we all find the things which are good for us are often the
hardest thing for us to do consistently. One sometimes missed
preventive measure in adolescence, and often missed in adulthood,
is immunizations. Young women will probably need more immunizations
while they are still in the home, A tetanus and diphtheria
booster is usually given at 15-16 years of age or 10 years
after the last booster. This ends the primary series of immunizations,
and usually another won't be needed for 10 more years.
Your health care provider will need to check and make sure
that all vaccines have been given, especially the second dose
of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. This combination vaccine was
once thought to be effective with only one dose needed after
I year, or later, at 15 months of age. During the late 80's
and early 90's, a measles outbreak of epidemic proportions
made us realize that more of the vaccine was needed. During
that time, all adolescents who had only one dose were re-immunized
and the 5 year old was given a booster. We have continued
the repeat of the vaccine at the age of 5 years.
A new vaccine is available and highly recommended for the
adolescent woman, and for all women. This is the Hepatitis
B Vaccine. This important vaccine will protect us from getting
Hepatitis B, a disease passed from an infected person by blood
and stool transfer and by sexual contact. It is highly recommended
that all adolescents get this vaccine as well as all adults
who work in areas of high exposure. These include hospitals,
doctor's and dentist's offices, nursing homes, day care centers,
and the like. There is a primary series of 3 injections, given
in a prescribed manner, certain distances apart. This series
of vaccines are now being given to newborns, with the first
dose given in the hospital. New research is continually being
done and it is not known at this time whether a repeat of
the vaccine, beyond the initial series, is necessary.
It is an important part of being responsible for your own
health to be aware of when you last had services and when
they need to be done again. Young, middle age and older women
need to pay close attention to their own immunization status.
You have still have the obligation of continuing the tetanus
immunization or taking any vaccine when your occupation or
life style makes it necessary. You will come to the point
of time for handing over her own immunization record to your
young woman. You need to impress upon her the value of, and
the reason for knowing, where this record is, what it contains,
when she needs to have additional immunizations, and bringing
that record to all of her appointments in order for it to
be kept up to date. The biggest, and the longest lasting,
incentive will be for her to see how you have handled her
records and the records of the other family members. She will
learn by your example. |
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site is not meant to be a substitute for regular visits to your
Health Care Provider, nor should it take the place of their advice.
However, it is one other source of information for you and your
family. It is advised that you see your Health Care Provider for
the evaluation and treatment of illness. The links from this site
may contain information that is not in line with the teachings of
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and His Followers, the members of
the Seventh Family of The Nation of Islam. Unnatural birth control
and abortion are never condoned.
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