Top 5 Women Health Issues In India

Women's health in India has always been a serious concern in India. The important causes include poor nutrition, changing lifestyle, stress, domestic violence, ignorance towards maternal health, inaccessibility to basic health care facilities, etc. Following are some important health issues affecting women in our country -

Breast cancer - This has become one of the most common and growing health problems affecting women in India. It is a major cause of death among women. Delayed diagnosis is the major factor responsible for it. Illiteracy, lack of hospitals in rural areas and inaccessibility to even basic healthcare facilities are common reasons for the delayed diagnosis and inappropriate treatment, especially in low and middle-income countries like India.  Other important factors responsible for it may include the following -

• Delayed marriage 

• Delay in bearing the first child

• Less breastfeeding

• Obesity

• Genetic factors

• Inappropriate lifestyle 

• Poor nutritional intake

Cervical cancer - It has now become the leading cause of death amongst women in India, killing around 33000 women every year. It is a sexually transmitted viral infection caused due to Human Papilloma Virus. Young teenage girls are at higher risk of getting this infection. This is an asymptomatic disease that remains unnoticed for a long time till it starts infecting nearby organs and tissues. Some important factors responsible for it include ;

• Bearing too many children

• Poor sexual hygiene

• Not maintaining enough gap between children

• Early marriage

• Poor nutritional intake

• Unsafe sex with multiple partners

Polycystic ovarian disease or PCOS - Is one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting females in India. Numerous, small-sized cysts are present in the ovaries of a woman suffering from PCOS. It adversely affects the menstrual cycle and eventually ovulation, making the woman unable to conceive. It affects around 5 to 10 percent of females of the reproductive age group in between 12 to 45 years. 

PCOS commonly causes infertility in females. Important factors responsible for the disease include :

• Obesity

• Hormonal imbalance

• Poor nutrition

• Genetic occurrence

• Bad lifestyle

Heart diseases - The incidence of heart diseases has shown a drastic surge in females. Change in lifestyle i.e leaning more towards urbanized lifestyle is the major factor responsible for this. Women in the post-menopausal phase were more prone to heart diseases earlier but now younger age group among females are also getting affected. Important factors responsible for this include :

• Increased usage of oral contraceptives

• Habits like smoking and drinking

• Sedentary lifestyle

• Consumption of more junk food

• Hectic schedules and irregular meal times

Osteoporosis - This is a common health problem affecting females, especially in the post-menopausal phase. The condition is characterized by low calcium levels in the women’s body, leading to weaker bones and increased instances of fractures. Important factors which cause osteoporosis include the following :

• Vitamin D deficiency caused due to low sunlight exposure

• Vitamin D deficiency caused due to poor dietary intake

• Unhealthy weight gain

• Unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking and drinking alcohol

• High-salt food