Women's Health

Your local student's union will be have advisors and facilities available for women's health, and your local Well Woman Clinic or Family Planning Clinic and Local Health Authorities will be able to give you more information.

Smoking

Lung cancer is now a bigger killer of women than breast cancer. The risks of coronary heart disease and other smoking-related illnesses are the same for men as for women, but women smokers also have the added risks of: an early menopause; a heart attack or stroke if they are on the pill; and an increased risk of osteoporosis.

Breast Cancer

One in twelve women will develop breast cancer during their lives, and Britain has the highest mortality rate from this cancer in the world. Check if you have a family history of the disease, childlessness, lifestyle, and weight, and since there is also a possible link between the contraceptive pill and breast cancer, make sure you know what pill you are taking and what the possible effects are. As with men checking for testicular cancer, women need to check their breasts for anything unusual, such as lumps or tenderness. Women aged 50-64 can have mammograms free on the NHS once every three years.

Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer kills 2,000 women in the UK each year, but because it is treatable if detected early on 80% of those are avoidable. Certain factors lead to an increased likelihood of cervical cancer:

Failure to have a routine pelvic examination and smear test.
Sexual intercourse at an early age.
Infection with HPV.
Unprotected sex.
STD's such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes or syphilis.

Women who are or who have been sexually active should have a cervical smear test every three years. Even women who have not been sexually active may want a smear test, as there are non-sexual factors that can increase the risks of cervical cancer. The test is a simple procedure and can be carried out by a GP, Practice Nurse, or at a Family Planning Clinic.

Toxic Shock Syndrome

Although the exact cause of the disease is not known, it is strongly associated with the use of tampons, and it is thought that tampon use may cause a change in the wall of the vagina, which makes it more predisposed to the production of the toxin. Check what tampons you are using and don't forget to change the tampon every 4-6 hours, especially if you're not menstruating or if you have a bacterial or fungal infection. Symptoms of the syndrome are similar to 'flu and include: high temperature; vomiting; diarrhoea; sore throat; muscular pain; headache; neck pain; dizziness; fainting; and a rash.

Women and Alcohol

Government guidelines suggest women can drink 2-3 units of alcohol a day without a significant risk to their health. However, this is only an average and varies according to the individual. Women who are pregnant are advised to give up alcohol altogether.

Abortion

The legal time limit for an abortion is twenty-four weeks, but it is very difficult to obtain one after the twentieth week of pregnancy. Abortions are only permitted after twenty-four weeks if it is the only way to save the life of the woman, if it will prevent permanent injury, or in cases where there is a high risk of severe foetal abnormality. For an abortion to be performed, two doctors (usually a GP and a consultant) have to agree that it is necessary and must sign a form (the 'green form') which indicates their consent. They have to agree that one or more of the following grounds applies:

Risk to the woman's life.
Risk of injury to the woman's physical or mental health.
Risk of injury to the mental or physical health of any existing children.
A substantial risk of the child being born seriously disabled.

NHS Abortions

However, even if consent is given, an NHS abortion is only possible if the facilities are available. For this reason in some parts of the UK the vast majority of terminations are carried out privately. If a woman does want an NHS abortion there are some ways of trying to minimise delays. She could ask her GP how long the waiting list is to see a consultant and if it is longer than two weeks, ask the GP to contact another consultant. She could also change her GP, especially if he or she is proving to be unhelpful. Such GP's should be reported to the Family Practitioner Committee.

Private Abortions

A private abortion means avoiding the bureaucracy of the NHS, but no private clinic will do an abortion after the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy either. They are also expensive. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) charges the following rates: · Surgical Abortion: (up to 14 weeks) £280-£320 (Outside London). · Early Medical Abortion (RU486): (up to 9 weeks) £280; (15-19 weeks) £410; (20-24 weeks) £615. (All prices are for treatment outside London). · Late medical induction: (up to an including 24 weeks) £660 (in London). Local Family Planning Clinics will give information and advice on abortions, as will agencies such as the Brook Advisory Centres, of which there are a number of branches around the UK
Source: NUS - www.nusonline.com