Final Article for Shweers Lecture

Dr. Carolyn Howard’s Fredrika Wild Schweer’s Lecture on Women and Health: No subject is taboo​
 
​Perhaps “lecture” isn’t quite the right word for what took place in Swan Auditorium as part of the Schweers lecture series at the University of Rhode Island. Dr. Carolyn Howard’s presentation, “Own Your Reproductive Health,” was more like sitting down at the kitchen table with a close friend. Her angle on women’s health: there is no taboo.
​The open discussion-based presentation touched on what to expect at your genealogical exam, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, and breast health.
​Equally as important was Howard’s in-depth explanation and diagram of the female pelvis. Knowing the consequences of sex is important, but as Howard explained, understanding what your body looks like, feels like, and does naturally is the first step in managing your health.
​Howard emphasized that women need to be their own self-advocates. She finds too many women in the U.S. go undiagnosed and untreated because they are not active participants in the doctor-patient relationship.
​Howard provided the information women need to become active in that relationship. She had the positive attitude and attentiveness that left the audience encouraged that gynecologists are also committed to a healthy patient-doctor relationship.
​Howard is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale New Haven Hospital. She received her Masters in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health before working as a physician at hospitals in Texas where she was honored with the award of “Outstanding Clinical Faculty in Obstetrics and Gynecology.”
​In 2003 Dr. Howard moved to Rhode Island, working first at South County Hospital before being hired as a gynecological consultant in the Women’s Clinic at URI’s Health Services.
​The Fredrika Wild Schweers lecture was established in 1981 by Dr. Patricia M. Farnes in honor of Freddie Wild, a gifted young woman who passed away at the age of 16 after a 13-year battle with Leukemia. This annual lecture honors the courage and dedication of Dr. Patricia Farnes, Fredrika, and her mother Genie Wild, who has been a strong activist in establishing supportive emotional health services for patients and their families at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence.

Getting Published?

I wrote a paper for my women's studies class about a week and a half ago and I was asked today to edit it  so that it can be submitted into the women's studies journal. I was fairly excited. The following is the original piece and once I finish editing it I will post the finished product as well!

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                I found that I learned more in the lecture on Women’s Health last night than I learned in the cumulative years of middle and high school health courses. Before the lecture, I don’t think I have ever seen a comprehensive picture of the female reproductive organs, healthy or unhealthy, and I went to a federally funded magnet school.

                Learning as much as I did in just an hour and a half showed me just how little we are taught about women’s health during a period in our lives where we need the information most. Dr. Howard mentioned in her talk that most women don’t get the information they need when they need it most—which should be before there’s an issue. While we’ve come a long way from not even being allowed to talk about sex in school, there is still so much education that needs to be available for women. I think the example from the lecture that best demonstrates this need was what to expect during a gynecological exam.

                When I went to my first gynecological appointment I felt like I was being thrown to the lions, as if I got a wave of good luck and a “see you later.” I had no idea what I was getting in to, what things were to be discussed, and most important—what questions I should ask. Sexual health was always a taboo in my very conservative family and it was never instilled in my sister or I at an early age that we need to be proactive about our health, especially our sexual health.

                This brings me to my second topic. After the talk my boyfriend asked me how it went and I immediately sent him a series of texts about everything I had learned. He was of course pretty overwhelmed by both the quantity and surprising vocab, but I told him that if I had come away from the talk learning anything, it was just how important it is to take an active role in my own health. I think Dr. Howard did best to convey the necessity for a comfortable relationship between doctor and patient and how the patient needs to be just as invested as the doctor should be.

                As far as medical topics are concerned, the information on breast health was probably most pertinent to me. Even though I have a history of breast cancer in my family (both my mother and great-grandmother and great-grandfather) I hadn’t had breast examinations explained to me as thoroughly as Dr. Howard explained it. Not only were there images of what a breast exam should look like, but also what unhealthy breasts look like. When you do a self-examination, you need to scrutinize for abnormalities just as a doctor would. Therefore when Dr. Howard explained what she looks for and what things go through their mind, it gave me insight as to what I should be doing as well.

                The second most important medical topic, I think, was contraceptives and I got a sort of vibe from the audience that was on most of their minds. In taking notes on contraceptives I noticed that while I knew about the different kind offered, I had never really understood how they worked. Dr. Howard did a good job in explaining how oral contraceptive works, why it works, and how it compares with others. I would argue that most people don’t know these things. Understanding the how and why of contraceptives gives sexually active women a better understand, and overall more reassurance about their bodies. I found that the audience as a whole got the most out of this topic.

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As far as editing goes I already know I need to do the following: 

1. Make the writing more assertive

2. Cut out most first person 

3. Use more accurate word choice 

Man, I'm glad I did that extra credit assignment!