Gender is a social construct that determines how people’s perceptions of their abilities and limitations will affect their interaction with society in various ways. The term “women” has been used to denote both the biological differences between women and men, as well as a separate class of individuals who are deemed responsible for childbearing. When we think about reproductive health, it is important to note that many factors contribute to reproductive health.
Whether reproductive health conditions are preventable or not depends upon what these conditions occur, the quality of care provided by providers, and other factors. To better understand the link between reproductive health and education, this article will examine the connection between reproductive health and education.
Education can improve reproductive health and other issues. For example, if a woman does not have an understanding of her body or reproductive health, she may experience negative emotions and mental health symptoms because of being uneducated on reproductive issues. This can lead to stress and depression, which are all major risk factors for serious reproductive health problems.
Research shows that school attendance plays no role in reproductive health. School attendance is associated with poor grades in subjects related to reproductive health, but there is little research available to determine whether school attendance affects pregnancy outcomes.
As long as young women can get help and receive appropriate care and information they need to make informed decisions about sex, reproductive health, sex-related information, contraception, making a decision about childbirth, and related topics, they can do so without experiencing issues such as anxiety or depression because they know more. It is imperative that every child has access to reproductive health information, free of charge, so they can do their best to navigate their lives as they grow up to become productive citizens. If not educated on reproductive health, people often feel confused, alone, confused, and depressed. Such feelings may lead to suicidal ideations for fear of never having children.
For example, according to a 2017 American Psychological Association survey of 1,000 adults 18 years of age and older in the United States, nearly two thirds (64 percent) of respondents said that reproductive health had very or somewhat limited importance to them when compared to other important issues such as family/marriage, work/school, food/drink, and health care (41 percent) When asked why reproductive health was considered less important than other important issues, 45 percent of respondents said they did so because it was “often associated with emotional distress” (41 percent).
Another 19% said reproductive health was only “often associated with emotional distress.” Overall, reproductive health conditions were seen as having a minimal effect on most adults (55%) and not extremely significant (32%). More Americans (73 percent) said reproductive health had “very little” effect on them (31 percent). Interestingly, among those who answered yes to any question that touched on reproductive health, more than half (57 percent) said that “most of [their] time” focused on reproductive health issues (47 percent) and “some of their time” (31 percent) was spent on reproductive health issues. However, the highest rates of respondents to all reproductive health questions who said they regularly engage in activities involving reproductive health were found among respondents who answered yes to the following reproductive health questions:
Do you take care of your breasts? Do you think you should be able to breastfeed or breastfeed? Do you think you should be able to use hormones, birth control pills, or other methods to induce ovulation, pregnancy, or delivery? Have you ever had to go through puberty or puberty transition? How much time do you spend or want to spend getting or preparing for sex, childbirth, or menstruation? Do you think a sexual activity is healthy or unhealthy? Do you think having children is healthy or unhealthy? Are there any benefits to having kids or wanting to have kids? Does living with parents help or make life harder? Why or why not?
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) defines pregnancy as the beginning of a baby’s life cycle. There are 2 types of pregnancies: a planned pregnancy (when one chooses to have a child), and a forced pregnancy (when one is brought into pregnancy through rape or incest, or being pregnant due to other means.)
According to HHS, a planned pregnancy is “the result of the deliberate creation of a pregnancy or a fetus through medical or surgical procedures that will cause the pregnancy, while a forced abortion is a termination of a pregnancy from conception after birth, usually because of rape or incest.” Planned pregnancies are associated with greater challenges than forced abortions, including higher rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and premature death. Because of their impact on both mother and child, they are believed to cause over a billion dollars of maternal mortality worldwide each year.
Unplanned pregnancies are known as the missing puzzle pieces in trying to solve the problem of infertility. Without a plan to end a pregnancy, there is no way to prevent it. So, every day, millions of young girls must decide whether giving birth or adopting would be a good idea for them. What are some basic steps, especially steps, women can take to reduce unwanted pregnancies?
These include having frequent sex with partners or male friends; trying to avoid becoming pregnant at all costs; avoiding drugs or alcohol; using condoms whenever possible; abstaining from drinking alcohol; choosing healthy foods; maintaining a healthy weight; exercising or doing something fun instead of engaging in hard labor; avoiding early pregnancy tests or pregnancy tests; and seeking out community resources for prevention and management of pregnancy outcomes. All of these behaviors are good ones, but unfortunately, there are still only 60% to 70% of women in America who know about effective strategies to limit unwanted births.
Unwanted pregnancies cause substantial emotional pain that is difficult to overcome. They result from stress, sadness, guilt, frustration, and guilt as well as shame and stigma. Some common effects include anger for having a baby, fear that others will judge, and shame about having a child. Studies show that a large percentage of unwanted pregnancies in African American populations is caused by racism, sexism, homophobia, and socioeconomic exclusion. Additionally, studies have shown that a high percentage of black teenagers aged 13–21 years are exposed to domestic violence before they turn 15. Domestic abuse takes away the innocence women hoped to protect in childhood and leaves scars on women who don’t know how to heal and move forward.
Even when someone is aware of their situation, many women continue to live in fear and have difficulty speaking openly and honestly about their miscarriages, pregnancies, or other experiences of sexual trauma and addiction.
It is estimated that 10 million teenage girls and mothers between the ages of 15–19 years experience the aftermath of sexual violence. The psychological, physical, academic, and financial wounds that come from being sexually assaulted or abused are often invisible to the victims themselves due to shame and denial.
Often, survivors do not speak out for fear of retaliation from those close to them, other women, men, or the government. It is imperative that there be enough awareness about this global epidemic with proper support programs and programs for girls and women to break the cycle. Girls and women have an incredible voice and can change the course of history if they speak out against injustice.
Education about adolescent sexual assault reduces sexual violence and protects women, girls, boys, and vulnerable populations around the world. Unfortunately, despite efforts of activists to educate on sexual assault, a majority of teens do not know any of the available resources for survivors or how to apply for counseling services, even though national funding is granted every five years. Many cases of sexual violence involve rape, attempted rape, and incest. A 2018 study conducted at Columbia University showed that most teen sexual assaults take place when the victim first engages in sexual activity and then moves to a different space later when the sexual activity stops.
One reason for this can be that teen rape laws are too lenient, allowing survivors and law enforcement to proceed straight into a crime as long as they are “in the heat of passion.” Similarly, women tend to believe, even when confronted with evidence, that they were somehow raped because they thought they might be raped by somebody else. But not everyone thinks they are raped all the time.
Women are also often reluctant to talk about their experiences because they don’t like speaking candidly in public, and they worry what the reaction will be from others, but the truth is that women are just as capable of being attacked as men because they feel no shame to admit that they were subjected to the same abuse. Women may not be as willing to report their rapes as men but the reality is that they are just as guilty of sexual assault. While young girls and women should start learning about the impacts of sexual violence and knowing their rights to seek justice against offenders is the least anyone needs to know is that girls and women need better laws.
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