In honor of Women’s History Month, Fresno City College welcomed two guest speakers to lead a discussion panel on March 18, in the Old Administration Building in room 251 about women’s reproductive health. It featured family nurse practitioner Elizabeth Yost and nurse navigator Andrea Kosiyangkakul. They were previously invited to speak at a panel discussion during last year’s Women’s History Month.
The panelists spoke to an audience of 60 students about the importance of monitoring personal health. Yost emphasized young adults should care about taking care of their health. She shared examples of women she’s seen who waited until it was too late for treatment.
“What you’re doing now as far as your health habits set the tone for later in life. The earlier we can get to you to know how to fill out that paperwork, know your family history, and tell your care provider your symptoms the better,” Yost said. “I have people and when they get to me at 55, 60 never go to the doctor their entire adult lives and they have massive health dysfunctions and there’s nothing I can do, they are going to die.”
According to Yost, women should prioritize being seen regularly by an OB-GYN (Obstetrician-Gynocologist). It may be difficult for women to access this type of healthcare assistance because of the current shortage of OB-GYNs.
Yost warned even people with appointments can have them delayed for several months. This harms women experiencing health problems that need medical attention. For women experiencing appointment delays, Yost suggested making it a goal to check in with their healthcare facility daily to fill in for any cancellations.
Kosiyangkakul encouraged women to learn about their family health history. If there is a family history of medical conditions, women should monitor themselves up to 10 years early. She added how learning what healthy breast tissue feels like can help you detect potential problems.
Towards the end of the discussion, the panelists asked the audience for any questions.
“What advice would you give to women facing a dismissive doctor?” a woman in the audience said.
Kosiyangkakul said women who are facing a dismissive doctor should trust their instincts. If they still feel like something is still wrong, they shouldn’t feel afraid to request more help.
“Keep pushing to get seen. If something doesn’t feel right, get tested. A mammogram might not be enough. Request other tests to make sure nothing is ruled out, an individual knows their own body better than anyone,” Kosiyangkakul said.
Kosiyangkakul addressed a common misconception about breast health where some believe mammograms may be unsafe.
“It is safe to have mammograms, a lot of people are nervous about radiation and I’m getting a lot of phone calls at work from women who are afraid to have a mammogram. It’s actually very safe, it’s one that has the least amount of radiation of all the imaging and modalities,” Kosiyangkakul said.
Yost believes information about women’s health should be available and provided for women in all stages of life.
“It should start in the home as young children. It should be in elementary school, middle school, high school, colleges, it should be a part of public services. It should be a lifelong thing, that it’s not a privilege to access medical care, that it’s something to have to maintain health,” Yost said.
