Women in India are suffering from various Gynecologic problems these days. The reasons could be a harmful lifestyle or unhealthy food habits. Another reason for gynaecological problems is lack of awareness. People do not go for routine checkups. This article is especially to make people aware of gynaecology problems. Manipal Hospital, Dwarka

Credihealth is aapka health partner. We do our best to keep you aware and healthy. So, to clear your doubts and concerns, we organized an interview with one of the top gynaecologists in Delhi NCR.

Common Questions About Gynaecology In India

We had a conversation with Dr. Leena Sreedhar from Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka to find answers to our questions related to Gynecology. 1. IVF is changing everything about parenthood for those who were unable to conceive. It is a safe procedure. Yet people are still slightly skeptical towards IVF treatments and the health of their infant through this procedure. How can we change this outlook? Can you share a few words on the process and its benefits? A few years back, because of certain medical issues, many couples had no hope to have a baby. IVF is a wonderful procedure that has brought hope to people's lives. IVF is not a new technology anymore. Many new procedures have been added to the conventional IVF process. We all know that anything new is always been viewed with a lot of suspicions. People should take it up timely. For example, a lady has damaged tubes and she has been told this in her 20s. In these kinds of cases, instead of hoping for some miracle or changing the doctors regularly, hoping that she will conceive naturally, is often futile. She should accept it much earlier when she is younger. When you become much older, it becomes more difficult to have a baby through IVF. Most of the complication that happens with IVF pregnancy is because the mother or the father had some medical problems. In IVF pregnancies the mother is given a lot of medicines to conceive. It is not that IVF is difficult, abnormal, or creates problems, but the sooner you come to know that IVF is the only option, the sooner you should opt for it, instead of trying other methods. Go for it when you are young, as there is a small risk of facing complications. 2. PCOS is one of the most common conditions among Indian women. Yet the awareness about the same is lacking. So how can someone know if they have PCOS and when to pursue treatment? PCOS has now become a big challenge. In a working OPD, over 15-18% of women who come for general gynaecological problems are related to PCOS. So, it has become really common nowadays. What a lady has to understand is that if she starts getting irregular periods at any point in her life or starts facing weight gain or increased facial hair growth and acne, she has to consult a doctor. These could be the symptoms of PCOS. In some cases, women do not gain weight but still face irregular periods, with male pattern hair distribution and hair fall. Along with these, one of the clinical symptoms for PCOS is acne. In short, any women who are putting on weight, facing acne, and abnormal hair growth on face or chin, should consult a gynecologist. They will investigate based on certain criteria, to check if she is suffering from PCOS or not. The sooner, the better. PCOS is a complex condition that can't be cured completely, but you can keep it under control by consulting a doctor on time. 3. Under the family welfare clinic services at Manipal Hospital Dwarka, there is a save the girl child campaign. What exactly is the agenda of this campaign? And how is it contributing to removing the stigma? Save the girl child. Everybody is trying to do that these days, but the doctors are the best equipped for it. Firstly, starting with the Gaynocology department, for example, at Madanta hospital Dwarka, sex determination is illegal and not supported. Secondly, looking after the health of a girl. If we have a young girl brought to us, apart from her medical checkup, we also look after her gynaecological health. She will then be better equipped to handle the upcoming health problems, for example, anemia, PCOS, irregular periods and more. Our focus is to ensure that a girl should survive and live a healthy life right from birth to the time she becomes an adult. 4. We know that Cervical cancer is preventable, yet 200 women die of it every day in India. What do you think is the prime cause of this? What improvements are needed in our healthcare program? The prime cause of Cervical cancer going undetected is that women don't come for a routine checkup. A proper check-up is required to identify the disease. There has to be 100% screening. Unfortunately, we don't have any programs where you have to visit a doctor for basic health check ups regularly. This could be an effective step for the diagnosis and treatment of Cervical cancer. People often think that they don't need to see a doctor if they are not facing any health issues. This is not the right thing to do. There are several treatments available nowadays which can treat cancer at the initial stage and can stop it from developing any further. Cancer takes over 10 years to fully develop. In those 10 years, the doctor can treat your condition at an earlier stage with the help of minor operations. The positive thing is that women are becoming more and more aware of cervical cancer. Manipal Hospital, Dwarka has organized cervical cancer campaigns to bring out women from their homes for proper screening. One other reason for the increasing rate of cervical cancer is unawareness. The screening is a painless process. So come for a regular check-up for a healthier life. 5. India's public health expenditure has remained a 1.5% of its GDP or less and with 2.2% of the interim budget allocated to health, but a deeper look at these numbers reveal that investment in women's reproductive health is far lesser. How does this aspect affect your practice as a gynaecologist? What are the challenges you face concerning the Indian healthcare system and delivering your services? Our country's expenditure on health is disappointing. There is no doubt about it. Any country's economic development becomes much higher if they have a healthy population. The healthcare programs are available, but we don't have enough budget to implement it. We can start a campaign under which there can be proper records for every individual's health condition. With registration, the individual can be reminded about their missed appointment. This mechanism is missing in our healthcare system. 6. In the Beed district of Maharashtra, women undergo an extreme procedure in the name of boosting their productivity. They undergo Hysterectomy, rather than miss work due to their periods. Is this a cause of concern? This is a big cause of concern. Women choose hysterectomy rather than miss work due to their periods. They do this because of their economic conditions. Women with poor economical condition cannot afford to rest for even 4-5 days during their periods. They just can't afford to cut that money and the reason is poverty. To overcome that loss, they choose hysterectomy. Young women in their 20s get a hysterectomy, underestimating the long term side effects on their health. They need to understand that this is not only a womb for bearing children. Many other problems can be associated with removing the womb before time. It has to be legally brought in by the government to ban the hysterectomy before the right time. 7. In India, ancient methods or precisely "Dadi-maa ke nuske" are followed by families to maintain the health of pregnant women, does that approach collapse with medical treatments? What are the basic problems related to this that you have faced in your practice? Doctors face this problem every day. Dadi maa ke nuskhe like putting turmeric in milk, having Kesar and coconut to have a fair child. These are hilarious things, they don't harm you. The right thing to do is whatever your dadi maa or elderly woman advice you, just cross-check with your gynaecologist before implementing. An expert's advice is a must for anyone. Let your doctor decide what is right and what is not for your health. 8. Most young women go through painful periods and this may be related to the sedentary lifestyle. But few are willing to change their habits, what would be your message to these girls? The message for the girls who are willing to change their habits is 'be more active'. Some girls take leave from their office or college during a painful period. Or they use a hot water bottle to overcome the pain. It will surely reduce the pain. But the correct way to overcome the cramps and painful period is by exercising or by doing particular yoga asanas. Periods are a sign of being a healthy woman. So why spend time at home sitting quietly for 2-3 days. Try to be more active in those days. It will surely help. Of course, despite these simple measures, if you are not getting any relief, the doctors will provide 1-2 pain killers which will help on the 1st or second day of the period. But do consult your gynaecologist as it could be a sign of some other serious diseases. For a priority appointment or more information, contact us at +91 8010994994 or book an appointment with Dr. Leena N Shreedhar here -

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This write-up was contributed to Credihealth by Dr. Leena N Shreedhar.

About The Doctor

Dr. Leena is a highly recognized and experienced doctor. She is the HOD of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Manipal Hospital Dwarka. She has vast experience of 31 years in her medical field. Dr. Leena is known for her friendly and compassionate nature.