The hidden health crisis we don’t talk about - The Philadelphia Sunday Sun
August is National Breastfeeding Month, a time to celebrate the incredible health benefits breastfeeding provides both mothers and babies. As I explored women’s health topics being recognized around the world this month, one thing became abundantly clear. No matter where we live, women continue to face significant health challenges. According to the World Health Organization. . .
August is National Breastfeeding Month, a time to celebrate the incredible health benefits breastfeeding provides both mothers and babies. As I explored women’s health topics being recognized around the world this month, one thing became abundantly clear. No matter where we live, women continue to face significant health challenges. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):• Approximately 712 women die every day worldwide from preventable pregnancy-related complications. • In the United States, 87% of pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable. • Heart disease and stroke remain the leading causes of death among women both globally and here at home. These statistics are heartbreaking. Yet as I read report after report, I kept asking myself one question:What aren’t we talking about?Public health data often measures disease, mortality, screenings, and clinical outcomes. But it rarely tells the full story of the daily realities many women live. One of those realities is the invisible weight of caregiving. Whether caring for children, aging parents, spouses, family members, or friends, millions of women quietly shoulder responsibilities that affect nearly every aspect of their own health. I also believe there’s an important distinction between caregiving and care partnership. Caregiving often means doing for someone. Care partnership means walking alongside someone while preserving dignity and shared responsibility. Both require emotional, physical, and mental energy. And too often, that energy comes at the expense of the woman providing it. Looking beyond the numbersWhen caregiving research is considered alongside traditional public health data, another picture begins to emerge. Mental HealthWomen experience depression and anxiety at higher rates than men. Research also shows that caregiving significantly affects emotional well-being. Nearly half of female caregivers report impacts on their mental health, and women providing long-term care are considerably more likely to experience depression than women who are not caregivers. Heart HealthHeart disease remains the leading cause of death among women. Chronic caregiving stress has also been linked to increased inflammation, elevated blood pressure, poor sleep, and faster biological aging—all of which may increase cardiovascular risk over time. Delayed Self-CareMany preventable health problems begin with delayed screenings or postponed medical care. Women make up approximately 61% of family caregivers, and balancing work, family, finances, and caregiving often means their own health moves to the bottom of the list. Nearly one in five caregivers rate their own health as only fair or poor. The emotional side of women’s healthPerhaps the hardest part isn’t the work itself. It’s the expectation. Somewhere along the way, many women learned that sacrificing themselves was simply part of loving others. We normalize exhaustion. We minimize pain. We postpone appointments. We ignore symptoms. We convince ourselves we’ll deal with it “after everyone else is okay. ”But our health matters too. At An Evening with Patricia, one message echoed throughout every conversation:We must become advocates for our own health. No one knows our bodies like we do. No one experiences our daily burdens like we do. When we educate ourselves, ask questions, seek support, and speak up for our health, we don’t just improve our own lives—we strengthen our families and our communities. Women’s health isn’t only about medicine. It’s also about the environments, responsibilities, relationships, and expectations that shape our everyday lives. Only when we recognize the whole picture can we begin creating healthier futures for women everywhere. We care, Patricia