Women More Likely To Avoid Medicines Due To Cost: Why Do Women Ignore Their Health?

Women's health has always been a concerning topic around the world. Many women still tend to ignore their own health while keeping the entire family in check. The problematic notion of sacrificing herself for the family makes women put others first and leaves their needs last.

Giving their family the best while adjusting for whatever is left, that's how society views and expects a woman to be. Women too grow up believing in these rigorous notions and feel like if they don't abide by them, they won't be a good wife, mother or daughter.

That is the reason why women sacrifice their own health to serve the family. It's not just about working while having a fever or headache, it is also about ignoring signs of something even big so as to not bother anyone. A study found that more women avoid taking medicines as compared to men due to the cost.

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Women Ignore Their Health

The study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States revealed on June 2 that women are more likely to delay or skip or take less than the prescribed medicines as compared to men due to the cost of the medication.

The result was based on a survey conducted on thousands of people in the US in the age group 18-64 years who were asked about their health. 9.1 percent of women said that high costs forced them to skip or take fewer medicines during 2021 while only 7 percent of men said the same. This difference stems from reasons like women not prioritising their health, earning less than men and family responsibilities.

In India, we see women around us sacrificing a lot for the family. They take care of the entire family and keep their own needs last. They often depend on home remedies that worsen the situation more than it improves it. They don't prefer taking medicines because they consider it an extra financial burden. When it comes to choosing between a family need and their own health, they are more likely to choose the former because they don't want their health to worsen their financial situation.

Women should understand that prioritising themselves doesn't mean they are not prioritising their families. They should know that their needs, health and happiness is also family matter and she also deserves care and concern just like every other member of the family.

Families too should take care of the women who are constantly looking out for them, whether it is your mother, daughter, wife, sister or daughter-in-law. If they take care of your needs, you should take care of theirs and make sure that they are not skipping medicines or avoiding them.

Views expressed are the author's own