{"id":16963,"date":"2020-03-21T09:00:25","date_gmt":"2020-03-21T08:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=16963"},"modified":"2020-06-18T10:14:03","modified_gmt":"2020-06-18T08:14:03","slug":"navigating-health-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/navigating-health-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Navigating Health Care Systems with Autonomy"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first <\/span>doula<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/a>training I ever did was remarkable, and set the groundwork for all of my career endeavors. This paradigm shifting experience opened my eyes as to how to support my doula clients in navigating the healthcare system with autonomy, grace, and education- especially when it comes to reproductive health.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this training, I realized that like many others, I held the belief that when I walked into a hospital or doctor\u2019s office, I essentially handed over my rights. I believed that the person in the scrubs or white coat has all the answers, and I must blindly follow their advice and recommendations.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s normal to see healthcare providers as an authority figure that you can\u2019t challenge. This is why so many women end up with unnecessary <\/span>episiotomies<\/a><\/span>, cesarean sections, <\/span>hysterectomies<\/a><\/span>, <\/span>or without proper screening, diagnosis, and treatment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In order to educate my clients on how to advocate for themselves, I had to first deconstruct this programming personally. I had to learn how to be autonomous in a system that makes it difficult to treat people as individuals, and now I\u2019m going to show you how to do the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy body, My Rules\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

You know your body best. It\u2019s good to remember that, while your doctor may have incredibly valuable credentials and expertise, they have never lived in your body. They have no way of understanding the nuances of your pain and discomfort. They can\u2019t know every symptom and sign that\u2019s popping up- unless you tell them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the face of many political climates, legislators are making it increasingly difficult for people, specifically those with uteruses, to have autonomy over the choices they make for their reproductive health. The fight to control women\u2019s bodies rages on, as women retaliate with more education and fire than ever. It\u2019s incredibly heartbreaking and frustrating to see different laws passed around the world regarding what people can and can\u2019t do when it comes to their reproductive health.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have the privilege of living somewhere where you are able to act with a sense of autonomy, you better do it.<\/span><\/p>\n

They Are Here to Serve<\/b><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to paint all healthcare providers in a bad light, because for the most part, they are angels here to help and serve. They want to see you getting the best care and outcomes possible, it\u2019s just difficult to offer that within the system that they\u2019re in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Which is why it\u2019s your responsibility to push for the best possible care. To know what resources to ask for, so that you can get the treatment and answers you deserve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Understand Informed Consent<\/b><\/p>\n

Informed consent<\/a> <\/span>is an \u201cagreement or permission accompanied by full notice about the care, treatment, or service that is the subject of the consent. A patient must be apprised of the nature, risks, and alternatives of a medical procedure or treatment before the physician or other health care professional begins any such course. After receiving this information, the patient then either consents to or refuses such a procedure or treatment.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s common for providers to request a signature of an informed consent form, without the communication that is necessary to make said form actually consensual. The tricky area is that while the procedure proposed may be required or routine at the hospital, that does not make it mandatory for a patient to consent to it. It makes this process a catch twenty-two.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is especially critical to understand in cases like pregnancy and birth, where unnecessary interventions are commonplace as a result of a lack of informed consent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Important Tips to Navigating The Healthcare System with Autonomy:<\/b><\/p>\n