Women shy of reporting sexual diseases

TNN | Jul 20, 2011

 

NAGPUR: Women shying away from sharing intimate details even with their close friends is somewhat justified. But an attempt on women's part to withhold personal information from their doctors could lead to complications and a delay in the treatment of diseases.

Urologists say it is a common practice among women to wrongly believe that they merely have some kind of urological problems. Later on, it emerges that they are rather plagued by cases of sexual dysfunction or infections, detected among many women in later stages.

"Many women who come to me with complaints like slow urination and other bladder conditions are actually suffering from severe problems like sexual dysfunction. Somehow, it is unimaginable for Indian women to believe that they, too, could have such diseases," said Dr Anita Patel, a urologist from Mumbai.

She said that the social atmosphere in the country prevents women from discussing such problems with those around them. Dr Patel thinks many of her male counterparts face the problem of doing away with the awkwardness that female patients face in speaking about private issues.

City gynaecologist Dr Laxmi Shrikhande said it is common for women to be referred to by urologists. "Since the first manifestation of these diseases is through the problems in urinary activity, it is natural for some confusion to prevail. The problem is, unlike the social atmosphere in the West, our society is not conducive to women being very vocal about their problems," opined Shrikhande, also the vice president of federation of obstetric and gynaecological societies of India (FOGSI).

"The things are discussed only after the problems worsen. This late reporting in many cases makes the problem chronic, adding to complications," added her uro-surgeon husband Dr Anil Shrikhande. "Middle-aged women are not very comfortable disclosing such intimate details. Although even younger women do not discuss problems freely, they know when it is time to visit the doctor," he observed.

Uro surgeon Dr Vijay Tamaskar also said he regularly sends female patients to his gynaecologist wife. "What they don't realise is even those with a single partner are prone to sexual infections. Many times, forceful intercourse among newlywed couples leads to many such complications. Several problems are such that it is not possible for women to identify until medical intervention comes into the picture," he explained.

He said that symptoms like burning sensation after passing urine, incomplete emptying of bladder, high grade fever and blood in urine are common in sexual infections as well as urological problems. However, Dr Tamaskar feels the scene is changing for the better. "The traditional role of a woman in the society is undergoing a lot of change. Today, women, especially those in the cities, are much more aware. They also have more time for themselves," he said.