Article for Women In Banking and Finance
Imagine your health as a tight ball of thread. Within that ball are threads for mental health and physical health. Through the ages, let’s look at what causes that ball of thread to unravel and once unravelled can it or bits of it be put back together again?
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We offer sexual health screening at Number One Health for both males and females. Confidentiality is asured for all clients. Your appointment will be with one of our doctors or nurses who are experts in the field of sexual health.
A sexual history is obtained and a full examination of the genital area is performed.
A blood test is taken to screen for HIV (result in 15 minutes), Syphilis and Hepatitis B infection.
Swabs are taken from inside the vagina and from the cervix using speculum. The vaginal swab screens for the presence of Candida (thrush), Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), and Trichomonas. Two swabs are taken from the cervix one to screen for Chlamydia and one to screen for Gonorrhea. A cervical smear test can be taken at this time, but this will at extra cost to the client. A urine sample may be required depending on patient history.
Blood test for HIV and Syphilis, urine for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.
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On the physical side, apart from accidents, the main risk to your health is what you have inherited. You could have been the unlucky girl who’s thirstiness was finally diagnosed as diabetes, who’s ‘growing pain’s turned out to be juvenile arthritis, who shares an oddly named syndrome with a small handful of others around the world.
You could pick up a short or long-term infection from your gap-year abroad, a not-so-trustworthy sexual partner or rarely you may have a cancer of the lymph glands, skin or another organ.
On the mental health side again inheritance may have played a role or your environment. I have always found it amazing how ‘normal’ some people are despite horrendous events or abuse in their past life.
The life-trick with any health problem is to keep it under control by seeking the best advice and do not just restrict yourself to the UK!
For the professional woman life-style now kicks in as a major risk to your physical and mental health. Easy access to drugs of abuse and alcohol and in many cases job cultures that encourage this abuse are common. My first yellow woman on the wards was a solicitor who had to have her daily gin and tonic when she got home.
Enjoy a healthy sex life but reduce your risk of infection, consider the new vaccine for cervical cancer, get screened for Chlamydia, have regular smear tests using the more accurate thin-prep test.
Personal stress, overlaid with work stress and one or two traumatic events can have a devastating effect on mental health.
However, ‘control’ of lifestyle and work-place stress can help keep the health ball tight and alongside regular exercise can help reduce the chances or the extent of unravelling.
Give up smoking before 30 years and you have a good chance of returning to near normal lung function and almost a non-smokers’ risk of lung cancer (which is very low!). Take stock of you weekly alcohol intake. Consider having a liver test.
How is your weight? Be honest with yourself. Have the yo-yo diets made a big or a small difference? Is it time for a new approach to nutrition and exercise? Is the gym paying off? Would it be more profitable in terms of time and energy to have a personal trainer? The easiest thing in the world is to delude ourselves and not see the facts in the mirror. Read about inspirational people who have changed their lives and their selves and ignore the nay-sayers – believe you too can make the changes required to improve your health.
Decide what’s right for you in terms of work and leisure. There is no set formula – some people do great on long hours that they enjoy – the key seems to be ‘control’ – so as boss work is a lot more fun than as an over-burdened underling!
Cancer starts to rear it’s ugly head! Have a check up, check your breasts for lumps, consider mole screening. Report suspicious symptoms early – blood from a nipple, blood in your poo, blood in your urine or coughing blood.
You should be on the home straight now, having recovered from ‘the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’ to paraphrase the bard. Your health is best managed through one word – moderation. No excess of food or alcohol and a good balance of work and exercise. If you are unlucky to have a health problem ensure you have the best doctors who see you as whole person. – never let yourself be written off as a classic case of X which we can do nothing about – speak to others with the condition and find out what the expert patient believes improved their quality of life.
Your aim should be to defy the insurers by ensuring you retire healthy and the ball only unravels in the last weeks or days. Healthy is as healthy does and throughout your life a positive attitude will help both physical and mental well-being. Keep those health threads together and have a ball.
