Bikini View of Women's Health

The term Bikini Medicine refers to the outdated and narrow approach of focusing solely on the parts of a woman's body covered by a bikini. It is presumed that women's health is limited to only the parts covered by the bikini, that is, the breasts, uterus and ovaries. This narrow focus needs to change.

The myth that women's health is restricted to only the bikini area needs to be disowned. The focus should also be on other diseases, especially non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and heart-related diseases.

Why Bikini Medicine is Problematic?

Here's why bikini medicine is problematic:

Limited Scope

It restricts the understanding of women's health to bikini health, neglecting other crucial aspects like cardiovascular health, bone health, and overall well-being.

Gender-Specific Differences

Women tend to neglect their health issues and keep their families at the forefront. They usually have their gynaecologists as their primary consultants, and the approach becomes tubular, concentrating majorly on reproductive health.

They suffer more from autoimmune diseases, Bone diseases, etc, as compared to their male counterparts. These are not addressed because of bikini medicine.

Neglect of Systemic Issues

The Bikini Health fails to address the broader social and environmental factors that impact women and their health. Also, most of the research and studies are done on male patients, and female participants are relatively very low. This is changing in recent times, though.

As most women have gynaecologists as their primary consultants, investigations done are also related to their speciality only. A comprehensive approach, including other systemic disorders and non-communicable diseases that needed to be checked;

Outdated Approach

The term bikini medicine itself highlights the historical tendency to focus on women's reproductive systems, neglecting other areas of health. They should be educated more to focus on other organs also, which can cause major issues later on.

How to Move Beyond Bikini Medicine?

To move beyond bikini medicine, it's crucial to:

• Promote Gendered Medicine: This approach recognizes the unique biological and social factors that influence health in men and women. Women should be screened for other diseases and not just reproductive health.
• Integrate Women's Perspectives: Include women's voices and experiences in healthcare research and policy decisions.
• Address Systemic Barriers: Ensure equitable access to healthcare for all women, regardless of their socioeconomic status or location.

These steps, going beyond bikini health, will definitely help improve women's health and, in turn, enhance their families and communities overall well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions