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Would you like HCPs to ask about your reproductive health?
I was scrolling through the news section of SMA News Today earlier and found this article: SMA adults recommend tailored patient-reported outcome measures.
Its inclusion of discussing sexual function caught my eye, as I had just returned home from seeing a gynecologist the same day. Whether it’s for better or worse, my reproductive health has become something my medical team needs to monitor, to ensure it doesn’t contribute to my chronic pain. I’ve also had to discuss it with my psychologist. It’s been an interesting experience; I’ve had to work on getting over feeling awkward about it.
Nevertheless, I do love that my team is treating me holistically. But I’ve wondered whether other patients feel like reproductive health with SMA management should be included from the get-go of us entering puberty.
What’s your opinion? Would you like HCPs to ask about your reproductive health?
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2 Replies
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Yes, absolutely. I find that my doctors are more likely to focus solely on SMA-specific matters (i.e., respiratory function, muscle weakness, etc.), so I often have to advocate for myself when it comes to other areas of my health. Do you feel that same way about your doctors in Singapore, too?
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Honestly? It’s a little hard for me to say whether my doctors mostly focus on the SMA-specific stuff. Untangling any of my health issues from SMA is difficult, after all.
Before my pain specialist pulled the trigger on referring me to my psychologist for a routine assessment on how I might cope if I had surgery, my neuro had advised me to see someone in psych for years. My mental health has always been a concern of hers – not because I was clinically diagnosed with anything, but because she knows living with a disability like mine is tough.
But I do think my medical team really only realised I needed to be treated more holistically once my pain specialist came onboard and I was in and out of the hospital for months. Oh, and once I told them I was diagnosed with ADHD at a private clinic. 😅
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