Don't Let Taboos And Ignorance Harm Your Sexual Health

Seeing a doctor when we’re sick is a kneejerk reaction, but unfortunately we can’t say the same about seeing gynaecologists. Clara How wonders why sexual health is still taboo in 2019.

- 

When Deborah*, 26, missed her period for two years, she didn’t bother to see a gynaecologist to get things checked. “With hindsight, it’s a scarily long time, but you always think, ‘ah, maybe next month it’ll come back’,” she admits. “I didn’t seek medical advice because I wasn’t in pain. And frankly it was a huge convenience: it meant no mess, no cramps, no need for birth control.” She was remarkably blase: “Since my health didn’t seem to be affected and I wasn’t emotionally unstable, I didn’t feel compelled to do anything.”

So here’s the thing: we see dentists regularly; we see a GP when we feel woozy; we take medication when we’re under the weather. You’d think that when it comes to our own reproductive system, we’d be as kiasu.

Not quite so, apparently. While I might not have the same health issues that Deborah had, I too drag my feet when it comes to getting a sexual-health screening. I got my first Pap smear at 29, and at 30, have yet to make an appointment with a gynaecologist. I’ve just never bothered out of sheer laziness; never underestimate the power of procrastination.

I wanted to know if I was in the minority, so I did some asking. Out of the 33 women I asked (who are in their 20s and 30s), 19 told me they have never once seen a gynaecologist, and frankly, aren’t bothered. When asked if they chose to see a GP for sexual-health issues, the majority also said no. Of the 14 who have, some told me that the impetus was for reasons like missing periods or wanting to get pregnant. And for some, even a health scare isn’t enough to push them to seek medical attention.

WHY? “NO SYMPTOMS = NO BIG DEAL”