Did you know that your ovaries can just kill you? Like not even just cancer, there are multiple ways your reproductive system can self-destruct. As you get older, you start to learn more about the health issues that you need to start paying attention to. All body parts can kill you (probably), and that sucks, but people tend to feel more comfortable talking about certain body parts, which makes it easier to be aware of signs and symptoms. Reproductive organs have more stigma around talking about them, so we’re less likely to know about potential issues even if they’re common.
I recently learned about a reproductive health issue that is surprisingly common: ovarian cysts. I understand why people don’t talk about them, and they sound pretty gross. The word “cyst” is on par with words like “moist” and “phlegm,” in my opinion. Still, one in 10 females will develop an ovarian cyst in their life. This is even more common than appendicitis, which about one in 13 people experience. Still, when a woman experiences a sharp pain in their abdomen, they’re probably going to suspect appendicitis when it’s more likely that they have an ovarian cyst, which shows very similar symptoms.
Ovarian cysts can do a lot of bad things; they can rupture, cause ovarian torsion, or they can get really big and cause discomfort. A few months ago, I thought I had appendicitis, but after a tour through multiple Hoboken urgent cares and a CT scan, I was told that I had a pretty large ovarian cyst. At the time, there was nothing that anyone could do, and I had to wait to see if it would go away. For a while, I thought that the cyst had gone away until last Thursday. This time, I knew that I didn’t have appendicitis, and I went straight to the Hoboken University Hospital. It was lucky that I knew what was happening because I ended up needing surgery for ovarian torsion. If I didn’t already know I had an ovarian cyst, I wouldn’t have been able to make sure I got the right tests, and it probably would have taken a lot longer to get accurate treatment. For ovarian torsion, you’re supposed to get surgery around eight hours after symptoms start to have the best chance of keeping your ovary. I had great care at the hospital and knew exactly what was happening to me, and it still took around 30 hours for me to get surgery. I’m lucky that everything turned out fine, but a lot of people don’t have that outcome
Other women’s reproductive issues are even more stigmatized, like ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, and STDs. Not knowing about the signs of these conditions can delay treatment. Most of the time, not acting quickly enough can result in losing your ovaries or uterus and can even lead to damage to other parts of your body. I think that we should be talking about reproductive health issues more, the same way that people spread information about any common condition.
