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Women’s Health Matters: Understanding Our Bodies
There is something sacred, something divine, about a woman’s body. It is a vessel of life, a bearer of burdens, a theatre of emotions, and a mirror of mystery. Yet, in our fast-paced world where aesthetics often overshadow awareness, many women walk through life oblivious to the silent cries of their bodies. The truth is, women’s health is not merely a topic for hospitals and awareness campaigns, it is the very heartbeat of families, communities, and nations.
Growing up in the warm but conservative streets of Ilorin, I watched women juggle life like seasoned performers. My aunt, Mama Bisi, a robust and cheerful woman, ran her food business with the energy of ten men. But behind her laughter were days of crippling pelvic pain she waved off with a shrug. “It’s just my woman thing,” she would say, leaning on the wall to catch her breath. Years later, we found out she had multiple fibroids, uninvited guests that had made a home in her womb for over a decade. It was a wake-up call for many of us, especially when her surgery nearly cost her life. But how many women are still out there, like Mama Bisi, enduring pain in silence, believing it is part of their gendered reality?
Our culture has taught women to endure. We are raised to be strong, to put family before self, to carry on no matter what. While this has shaped us into resilient beings, it has also made many women blind to their own suffering. Pain, especially gynaecological pain, is often dismissed as normal. Young girls cry through menstruation and are told to be brave. Women bleed heavily and are told it is their cross to bear. But what if that cross is a sign of a deeper issue?
Endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the womb, affects millions of women globally. It causes unbearable cramps, chronic fatigue, and sometimes infertility. Yet, so many cases go undiagnosed for years. I remember Patience, a friend and colleague, who always had to take days off work during her period. We thought she was exaggerating until she collapsed at the office one morning. Her diagnosis came late—Stage 3 endometriosis. She looked me in the eye and said, “If only someone had told me this wasn’t normal, maybe I wouldn’t have waited so long.”
There’s also the story of Chinyere, a vibrant entrepreneur in her late 30s. Her energy was contagious, her business booming. But beneath her busy schedule was a ticking time bomb. She had noticed a persistent swelling in her abdomen, which she chalked up to ‘gas’ or ‘stomach fat.’ When she finally saw a doctor, it was discovered she had large fibroids pressing against her organs. Her haemoglobin level was dangerously low. She had ignored her body’s signals for too long.
Then, there is the dreaded breast cancer, the thief in the night. It does not knock before entering, and if left unchecked, it may never leave. Many women still do not examine their breasts, even with all the awareness around. Some are afraid to find something; others believe “it can’t happen to me.” But cancer does not respect ignorance. Adenike, a tailor in Ilorin, found a lump during a casual bath. She kept quiet for months, thinking it would disappear. When she finally visited a hospital, it had already spread. Her words haunt me: “I was too afraid to face it, now I am forced to fight it.”
Women must realise that ignorance is not bliss when it comes to health, it is a potential death sentence. We cannot continue to be casual about our bodies while being meticulous about our appearances. We spend hours getting our makeup right, our hairstyles perfect, our clothes coordinated. We invest in outward beauty, forgetting that internal wellness is what sustains us. As Yoruba elders say, “Nkan tí ó bá jẹ nínú lè bá nkan ti o dara níta jẹ́ ,” meaning what is wrong within can destroy what appears perfect outside.
Mental health, too, is an area we sweep under the rug. The burden of being everything to everyone… mother, wife, worker, friend—can wear a woman thin. Halima, a teacher and mother of three, once confided in me that she would cry in the shower every morning. “I don’t know if I’m depressed or just tired,” she said. But who really listens to women when they say they’re tired? Society claps for ‘strong women’ without asking what it’s costing them. Strength should not come at the price of sanity.
The sad reality is that many women only seek medical help when the pain is unbearable, when their bodies scream what they’ve long whispered. Preventive care is still a luxury to many, either due to financial constraints, lack of awareness, or cultural attitudes. Regular check-ups, Pap smears, blood pressure monitoring, breast examinations—these are not indulgences; they are necessities.
We must also be frank about sexually transmitted infections. Too many women suffer in silence, often infected by unfaithful partners, and are too ashamed to speak out. STIs can damage the reproductive system irreversibly if left untreated. Protection is not just about avoiding pregnancy, it is about preserving dignity and health.
The bottom line is this: women’s health matters. Not just on International Women’s Day, not just in October for breast cancer awareness, but every single day. A woman who knows her body, listens to it, honours it, and protects it is a woman who will thrive. We owe it to ourselves, to our daughters, and even to our sons, to live fully and healthily.
In the words of Maya Angelou, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.” And each time a woman takes her health seriously, she is sending a message: I am valuable, I am important, I deserve to live well.
Let us no longer romanticise pain or glorify endurance to the point of death. Let us break the silence, tear the myths, and embrace the truth that our health is our wealth. We are more than wives, mothers, sisters, or workers, we are full human beings, deserving of care, understanding, and healing. Let us rise, not just in style, but in strength. Let us know, without doubt, that women’s health matters. And it begins with knowing, understanding, and loving our own bodies.. flaws, folds, fibroids, and all.
