In
order for women to achieve a high level of physical and mental
well-being, we must play an active role in our health care.
Not that long ago this is was not always easy to do.
Many women
were taught to be passive recipients of care, depending entirely
upon doctors (mostly men) for advice, information, and treatment.
They learned not to ask too many questions, not to disagree
with medical advice, and not to seek outside information.
This attitude was detrimental to a woman's well-being, especially
in the area of GYN health.
Many
women, not that long ago didn't understand their own menstrual
cycles or know what their vaginas
looked like. This lack of knowledge made them vulnerable to
believing many myths. Without knowledge about their anatomies
and cycles, they were unprepared to make important choices;
such as how to take care of vaginal
infections, what type of birth control
to use, or how to protect themselves from sexually
transmitted diseases. This information was written with
you in mind; in order to help you make important decisions
about your body.
A
woman's health care should be in her own hands; it is up to
each of us individually to take care of ourselves. This means
getting the information we need from books, health care providers,
the Internet, and of course, Cool
Nurse. We need to stay in-tune with our
bodies so we can recognize when something is wrong.
Knowing
how to deal with health care providers is a also an important
part of taking care of ourselves. We can’t receive proper
treatment, unless we are completely honest with our health
care providers. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed to give
an accurate health history. Ask every question, no matter
how silly it may sound. Remember, your health care providers
are your hired consultants and you have the right to expect
good service from them. If you are not comfortable with your
health care provider or do not like the treatment you are
receiving from them, do not hesitate to find new ones. They
don't have to be your best friend, but you need to be able
to trust them.
Gardasil® - 
