If there were to be an option of including just one new subject into today’s curriculum ‘contemporary issues’ shall surely be voted a hands-down winner. Contemporary issues, as the name suggests deals with learning about the various issues that plague world society and how to deal with these objectively.
One of the pertinent issues that this subject talks about revolves around women’s health. The world is slowly realizing the ill-effects of side-lining a major issue such as women’s health. Not many women are aware as to how cultural and social norms are leading to a deterioration of their health at various levels. In fact, around 90% of women in the continent of Africa suffer from AIDS that is mainly caused due to a social custom these women need to go through during marriage – bride price.
What are the serious debates that women’s health issues raise?
Bringing to light the various issues related to women’s health also bring into picture the ethical issues present within the topic of women’s health. A number of problems regarding women’s health centre around topics such as a women’s reproductive health i.e. her role and decisions pertaining to conceiving and bearing children. This is one of the issue where ethics clashes with health and leads to a dilemma surrounding the following topics –
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Abortion – Abortion has always created a dilemma in women’s health issues around the world due to the varying degrees of opinions it generates. Supporters of abortion believe the decision to conceive a child rests with the woman while those against abortion raise the right to live question of the unborn child. This condition creates a dilemma mainly when the health of the mother is at risk and many a time the results are never in her favour.
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Domestic violence – Domestic violence is a leading cause for many women’s health related issues. Research shows that around 37% of women in every city get treated for injuries that are caused by a current or former intimate partner. Many physicians never dwell much on the cause of these injuries and the ethical dilemma arises here. The question that is raised here is whether physicians need to take up the responsibility of screening for domestic violence and provide much more assistance than just silently providing treatment.
Women’s health raises many a serious debate and it is time that the world sits and takes notice of these and many other related issues.
women's health
