A woman’s reproductive health is a basic human right which has also been stated so by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) state that apart from women’s sexual health, women’s reproductive health is also integral. The reproductive system of a woman is a complex yet delicate system. This system requires the responsibility of taking important measures for its protection.
Important Measures for Female Reproductive Health
A woman must prioritise her reproductive health. A journey from menarche through menopause is quite an integral one and here are some ways you can take care of your reproductive health:
1. Check Your Dietary Habits
The food you take into your system is quite integral when it comes to your reproductive health. It is also a player when it comes to positive fertility outcomes. The National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) published a study that states that there were certain contents that were found to improve the reproductive health of a woman. These ingredients are:
- Vegetable proteins
- Antioxidants
- Diets which are low in carbohydrates
- Omega 6 fatty acids and omega 3
- Low glycaemic index food
Moreover, if you smoke or drink, you should put extra effort into making sure you have a healthy diet. Smoking and alcohol can affect your reproductive health and if you indulge in both, you put your reproductive system at a higher risk of getting cancer. This is because cigarettes contain toxic substances that increase the chances of cancer. Therefore, if your diet is healthy as well as clean and you indulge in quality ingredients, then you improve your overall health and preserve your reproductive health.
2. Engage in a Safe and Protected Intercourse
Engaging in unprotected coital activity exposes you to reproductive health problems. Having unprotected intercourse directly increases your risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections or STIs. Moreover, there are also times when certain infections may increase the risk of developing reproductive cancers. It is important for you and your partner to get tested and you must therefore ensure to use contraceptives or necessary protection to preserve your reproductive health.
3. Practice Good Hygiene
It is important to understand the products to use or avoid when it comes to women’s reproductive health. You must stay away from toxic or scented products that can disrupt your reproductive tract lining. Moreover, when it comes to the maintenance of our intimate area, you should never use soap or any substance with a similar pH level. This is because your vaginal skin has a pH between 3.8 and 4.5 or even lower. Moreover, you must also avoid scrubbing your intimate area, regularly clean it, and you must wear cotton underwear for comfort and breathability.
4. Exercise in Moderation
As it is already known, a healthy body is a healthy mind. Not exercising your body can lead to several health and heart diseases and this can also interfere with your body’s hormone production. Being underweight or obese can lead to complications in pregnancy and during delivery. This can also cause you to be stressed and your body gradually will become prone to infections. Moreover, not exercising can cause complications in the latter part of your life..
5. Seek Preventive Sexual Health Services
As prevention is better than cure, it is necessary to seek preventive sexual health services. It is also advisable to visit your gynaecologist on a regular basis by screening out pelvic exams, STI screening, HIV tests, Hepatitis C Screening, and other tests which may affect female reproductive health. You can also make use of other preventive measures like getting vaccinated which will minimise your risk of acquiring a virus that will affect your reproductive health or may increase your chances of contracting a virus that causes cancer.
Conclusion
Ovaries in the female reproductive system maintain health and also release necessary hormones, namely oestrogen and progesterone. If women do not take care of their reproductive system, they can easily get these disorders like inadequate breast milk supply, reduced fertility, polycystic ovaries syndrome, problems during pregnancy, and noncancerous growth in a woman’s uterus known as uterine fibroids. We hope the measures mentioned above regarding women’s reproductive health will come in handy.
