A smiling middle-aged female doctor listens as a female patient discusses her health.
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These are unprecedented times for women. Women are taking on more responsibilities at work, at home, and in every other area of life than in past generations. With limited time and opportunity costs, women set priorities based on what they have to do in a day. Due to time constraints, women are putting off their own medical needs. Skim's State of Women report found that women are often the 'chief worry officers' in the home, putting their own needs above the needs of others, to the detriment of their own health and wellbeing. . This study shows that:
70% of Millennial women struggle to prioritize their health, and nearly half regularly miss preventive care appointments. 58% of women often prioritize the health of their family over their own health. 63% of women find it difficult to prioritize their health in general. Almost 50% of American women have not attended a recommended preventive health care appointment in the past year.
Why women are no longer prioritizing their health care needs
In an interview with Carly Zakin, co-founder and co-CEO of The Skimm, she said: “Self-advocacy is about taking the time to make your health a priority. Women face many headwinds for prioritizing their health. It's hard to take time off from work, and it's hard to process health insurance. When women go to the doctor, their health problems are often ignored and they are disproportionately described as “emotional'' or “stressful'' compared to men.''
'Don't Wait Day' helps women reprioritize their health care needs
Research shows that prioritizing medical needs begins with the first appointment. That's why The Skimm launched Don't Wait Day this year. Don't Wait Day is a day when an employer gives their team time off to attend a medical appointment. Employers can honor the day, managers can offer that time to their teams, and colleagues can offer to cover someone else's time off for health care.
In an interview with Daniel Weisberg, co-founder and co-CEO of theSkimm, she said: “At theSkimm, we believe women's health should never take a backseat. Our #DontWait campaign is about turning awareness into action and empowering women. We believe that self-care is fundamental. We recognize that too often it is seen as a luxury rather than a necessity, and we need to change that mindset.”
Zakin said: I wanted women to be able to put themselves first even from day one. Women do all sorts of things for others, but if they are not healthy, they cannot continue to do so. ”
Don't Wait Day is about more than just giving people a day off. “This is about protecting your business, not preventing you from doing your job. It is much more convenient to proactively plan vacations than to react to an employee health crisis,” Zakin stressed. did.
How does self-advocacy lead to action? Skim's research suggests it starts with preventive care. Mammography, well-woman exams, skin cancer screenings, and colonoscopies are important areas in which women need to be more active.
A script to help women reprioritize their health care needs
To help women take the important first step in booking their doctor's appointment, The Skimm has developed a convenient, free, personalized tool designed to help women identify important appointments and tests they need. “Skim scripts give her the language and structure for awkward conversations to advocate for herself with medical professionals. Essentially, this is a way for women to object when their doctors don't listen. It helps prepare women for chanting. It provides words and phrases that women can use right away. The worst feeling is feeling helpless when you need help.
Kamini Ramdeen Chowdhury, Editor-in-Chief of theSkimm, added, “The most impactful part of this tool is that it’s not just a daily activation or a one-time reminder. It will reside on theSkimm site so that it can be maintained.” We know that individual action alone is not enough for lasting change, and we want men, brands and workplaces to also work with women to prioritize preventive care. When allies step up to help, we can create a culture where women feel empowered to take care of their health, and that's when real change begins to take root. ”
“Skim's mission is to empower this generation of women to live smarter and make the most important decisions in life in areas where women have been historically marginalized, such as the economy, health, and voting.” “It's inherently in our DNA to raise issues and tell women what they need to know,” Zakin said.
American women are deprioritizing their health care needs. Consider Don't Wait Days and scripts to support women to help them reprioritize their medical needs.
