Many Young Women Embarrassed To Discuss About Sexual Health With Their Doctors

Young women are too embarrassed to discuss about their sexual health with their doctors and turn to the internet for health advice.

However, older women are far less shy than youngsters and more willing to open up to their general physician, according to a research by the Ovarian Action charity.

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According to an interview conducted by the charity, one on six young women admit that they have made an appointment with their doctor only to cancel it out of embarrassment.

Health experts claimed that web search can never be compared to a face-to-face appointment with a doctor and also warned that serious conditions may be missed as a result.

The experts suspect that many people are squeamish about sexual health. They said that it is problematic when it comes to gynecological problems including ovarian cancer.

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Katherine Taylor, chief executive at Ovarian Cancer Action, said, “The reluctance to see a doctor for gynecological issues is really worrying and, while many of us have turned to the internet for help, googling symptoms is not a substitute for proper medical attention.”

“Illnesses such as ovarian cancer, which kills a woman every two hours in the UK, is much easier to treat if it's diagnosed early, so it's incredibly important that women feel empowered to talk about their health and feel comfortable visiting healthcare professionals,” said Taylor.

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Young women should be persistent when speaking about sexual health with their doctors, as it is not possible for doctors to spot the problem first time.

“Women know their bodies better than anyone else and they need to be confident about talking about the issue in clear terms,” said Taylor.

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The study, based on interviews with 1,000 British women, found that women between the ages of 18 to 24 are four times less likely to go to a doctor with a sexual health issue than their counterparts aged 55 to 64.

Two out of three young women said they were too embarrassed to say “vagina” or “orgasm” to their doctor.

People often become aware of gynecological problems during sex, said experts.

Young women admitted to avoid going to the doctor because they were examined in 48 percent of cases. While 44 percent said they were embarrassed to talk about sexual health issues.

Around 26 percent said they did not know what words to use. Nearly 57 percent of the younger women turn to Google.

As women get older, the embarrassment factor drops considerably, only 11 percent of women aged 65 and above said they are shy saying ‘vagina’ to their doctor.

“We do want to encourage women to talk about gynecological health and help spread awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer. It's so important that women are empowered to discuss these issues. Saying vagina won't kill you, but avoiding saying it could,” said Taylor.

Source-Medindia