Shanna M 00:00
It’s time to be well with your health. I'm Shanna.

Nimeet K 00:13
and I'm Nimeet.

Shanna M 00:14
Welcome to the Adventist HealthCare & You podcast. We are back, and we have an excellent topic today. According to research institute the Kaiser Family Foundation, 46% of women between the ages of 18 and 35 have experienced a negative interaction with a healthcare provider that seems high Nimeet.

Nimeet K 00:35
That seems very high. Every other woman going to provider is feeling that way. Were there particular instances they were talking about, or was it overall experience?

Shanna M 00:43
They just said that, you know, the provider either dismissed their concerns, assuming something without asking, thinking there were blaming them or lying involved, concerns, discrimination, and so just in general, not feeling heard, not having a great experience. I am outside of the 18 to 35, but I think back and I can kind of probably pinpoint a couple similar things. That seems high to us, but it's probably more normal than we think.

Nimeet K 01:14
Well I think it's just an unfortunate truth that we're living in. So I'm glad we're talking about it at least, so we could increase the awareness and see what resources are available to overcome this.

Shanna M 01:23
Yep, and we have a wonderful guest today. She's back on the podcast, Dr. Ogechi Anyaoku. Welcome Dr. Anyaoku!

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 01:32
Thank you for having me.

Shanna M 01:33
Thank you. We're glad to have you back. You are an internal medicine physician with Adventist Medical Group, and so you routinely work with women of all ages.

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 01:44
Yeah, you know, I do see women starting at the age of 18 and throughout the stages of life.

Shanna M 01:50
Well, we hope women have a primary care no matter their age, but it is important for women, even if you are young and you don't have any chronic health conditions or concerns, that you have a primary care physician and at least have developed some sort of relationship or regular cadence that you're seeing a primary care.

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 02:11
Yeah, definitely, you want to make sure that somebody's just watching over your health care, and if you are healthy, helping you to maintain your health, and then also identifying any problems that might arise potentially.

Shanna M 02:22
So the transition from a pediatrician, it's been a while for me, I don't remember that, but that transition that happens from your pediatrician, or maybe just from the doctor that your parents always encouraged you to see, or that you just stayed with, because that’s what your parents told you, can be daunting for the first time, or just looking for a primary care, just finding a doctor for the first time can be hard. What can women in particular do to smooth that search?

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 02:55
Yeah, I think absolutely you're right. It can be very difficult to find a provider when you're going out on your own for the first time. So that is the first part right, finding of the right person. And I think it's helpful to ask questions. So ask family members that are women like mom, sisters, aunts and even friends to see who they go to. Because sometimes that can be a little bit comforting, because, you know at least they trust the provider, and sometimes that can help you.

Nimeet K 03:22
So if somebody's going to the providers and just not feeling comfortable after they've done their appointment, is it okay to look at other providers? What are they supposed to do then, if they're just not comfortable after the first visit?

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 03:33
Yeah, absolutely. You have to be able to be comfortable with your provider, because this is somebody ideally you will be seeing for your the rest of your life, right? So you want somebody that you're open with, that you feel is listening to you, that you can trust, and you feel has your best interest at heart.

Nimeet K 03:51
So it's okay to, you know, change providers if you don't have that relationship with them.

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 03:56
Yup, if it's not working for you, find somebody else.

Shanna M 03:59
And even if you have been seeing them for a while, and you feel like some of these women that were that we referenced from that, from that study, and you just been there for a while, and you you just stay, because that's convenient to my house, or i’ve been there forever. I don't want to transfer my medical record. Don't, don't stay. It's worth going and finding another one.

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 04:18
Yeah, because sometimes you just want fresh eyes on your health history. And sometimes when somebody's been taking care of you for a long time, they're just kind of used to doing the same old thing over and over. But sometimes somebody else can take a look at maybe your blood work, or just kind of look at what you've been going through, and they can give you new suggestions. So it's definitely helpful to see somebody else sometimes.

Nimeet K 04:39
What if I want to keep my same provider, and, you know, I get dismissed, and I just want to make sure that, you know, I could have that communication with the provider. What are some of the steps that I could take to advocate for myself?

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 04:50
So, I think it's always okay to circle back to issues that are really concerning to you. I think, when you feel dismissed, if it's a particular issue. Just kind of go back and say, hey, you know, I know we briefly spoke about this already, but I just want to make sure that you understand my concerns, and then you understand why I'm concerned about this. And this will definitely give your provider a little bit of pause and so that they can step back and kind of reevaluate what their process of thinking was, and just make sure that they listen to you a little bit better and make sure they're addressing your concerns.

Nimeet K 05:23
Yeah, so the patients should feel empowered to advocate for themselves and say no, and it could be uncomfortable in the beginning, but I think the provider would appreciate that as well, having that transparency.

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 05:32
Absolutely, and then it just builds that trust in the rapport between the two.

Shanna M 05:35
So I mentioned earlier that young women may not have the same chronic conditions, that someone in their 40s or 50s or 60s may have. So what are some issues that younger women can look out for and some questions to ask their healthcare provider on their visits?

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 05:51
Young women definitely are a different demographic, and they have a set of different issues that they deal with more so than older women. So one of the things I would really say is a big issue that I see a lot is body image, and especially in the space of social media, because it's so pervasive in our culture, girls and women are constantly being inundated with images of what they're supposed to look like, and that can definitely be detrimental, sometimes to mental health. So I think it's important that we empower our young women, let them know that it's okay to ask questions, and that the most important thing is that they're healthy, not necessarily what the aesthetic is, but definitely you want internal health, as opposed to, you know, the aesthetics.

Shanna M 06:37
Gotcha, everybody's different. Everybody's body's different. Health is different. Needs are different. So I like that, that what matters is how you feel and being healthy.

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 06:48
Yep. And then another one of the things is just mental health in general. I think again, social media can play a part in that. And then, especially over the last few years, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we've seen a huge surge in mood disorders like anxiety and depression, and you know, we're kind of starting to get out of that, but that's definitely been a big issue over the past few years.

Shanna M 07:12
I thought you were going to say reproductive health. So what do I know. That is still an important piece of young women's life? They need to you still need to see an OB GYN. You still need to have your primary care check in. And so how often should you see your physician?

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 07:32
So you definitely want to see your primary care provider at least once a year. If you do have any other chronic concerns or conditions, then probably more frequently, but at least once a year, so that they can check your vitals, make sure your blood pressure is okay, make sure your weight is at a, you know, a safe, healthy weight. They can go over any lifestyle practices that you may be engaging in that may need to be improved. And then they can also just check for any risks of potential chronic diseases. You know, with reproductive health, since you mentioned it, it's such a personal and unique journey for everyone, so it's very difficult to really touch on that completely, but I will say that the one thing that all women should and can do is to have healthy practices. So that means making sure that you're eating the proper nutrition, making sure that your food is nutrient dense and not necessarily calorie dense, also making sure that you are managing your stress, sleeping appropriately and being physically active.

Nimeet K 08:35
There's been more and more incidents of women getting cancer at an earlier age, more screening started at 40 years or over. So what are some of the screenings that you recommend younger women perform every X amount of years?

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 08:49
Definitely, for young women, they can start cervical cancer screening between the ages of 21 and 25. We definitely don't want to do it younger than 21, but in terms of cancer screening, that's probably the only one that just everyone can do at that age. And then, depending on your family history and your personal history, you can start screening for cancer, for other issues a little bit earlier. But like I mentioned before, your general checkup, you want to make sure vitals are okay. You want to make sure that you're, you know, engaging in safe practices in terms of, even, you know, exercising. You want to make sure you're doing that safely. You want to make sure that you're eating appropriately. So different things that we, you know, go over during the annual physical exam that you definitely want to make sure that you're checking back in every year.

Shanna M 09:32
Part of that is a discussion on family history, which is really important in understanding your risk for certain cancers too. And so part of that discussion should be about your family history.

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 09:46
absolutely

Shanna M 09:46
and that that could indicate that prior to age 40, you may need something additional.

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 09:52
Exactly. So in terms of breast cancer, you know, depending on when a close family relative like your mother or your sister, if they had breast cancer at an early age, then that's definitely an indication for you to potentially start screening for breast cancer early. And same goes with colon cancer, family members who have colon cancer at earlier ages, that is an indication also for you to definitely go and speak to your either your primary care provider, or see a specialist.

Nimeet K 10:18
I think that's so valuable to find the right provider, so you could share all this information. Are comfortable sharing family history and everything how you're feeling, so you could get the appropriate tests and the right treatment as well.

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 10:28
Right, exactly!

Shanna M 10:29
You know, Dr. Anyaoku you talked a little bit about the use of social media and how it can impact your image or your mental health. There's other things that will impact your mental health. Is a primary care setting, a provider like yourself a good place to start if you're struggling or you have questions?

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 10:49
Yes, most primary care providers can at least do an initial evaluation if you're concerned about mood disorders like anxiety or depression, and they can kind of point you in the right direction if you need additional help. So they can refer you to psychiatrists or psychologists, and even if they feel comfortable, they can start you on medication, if that is an option for you.

Nimeet K 11:10
Do you have any recommendations on the social media usage, as sort of what steps people could take to not get into this habit, I guess, or have body image concerns?

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 11:20
Yeah, I think in general, limiting the amount of social media you're consuming is probably the biggest factor. And I definitely think finding websites and social media outlets that are more uplifting and supportive. I think also for young women, there's a lot of great advocacy websites out there. Two of them are Girlsinc.org, and girlshealth.gov. They are excellent platforms where young girls can get information, and they can also just find out ways that they can advocate better for themselves, not just in the health space, but also in different areas of their life.

Nimeet K 11:57
I think that's amazing resources that you highlighted. I think given that almost 50% of women are uncomfortable, or have, you know, a bad experience with their healthcare provider, I think having those resources, they could better advocate for themselves and know what the resources are, as it’s highly beneficial.

Shanna M 12:13
And I will, I will say too, you know, you mentioned, you know, circle back to issues that you want to go back to with your provider. That's okay to do, but also don't ignore it. Even if you're young and you're you know you don't have chronic conditions, or you know you're just young and you're busy, if something feels off, don't ignore it. Take the time, find a provider that you're comfortable with and will listen to you that if it doesn't feel right, it's probably not, and listen to your body, even at a young age.

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 12:47
Yes, because you know your body better than anybody else does, and sometimes it takes more than one visit to really go over an issue and address it appropriately. So it's also imperative that you are proactive about those visits, so you want to make follow up visits. So go ahead and just make those appointments if you need to see your provider monthly, go ahead and do it proactively, so that it's already in the books.

Shanna M 13:11
What is your approach to partnering with patients when it comes to their health?

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 13:17
I ask a lot of questions, and I also leave a lot of room for questions to be asked. I'm constantly, you know, do you have any more questions? Is there any other concern that you have? I want to make sure that if there are issues, we address them, and if we can address them at that, you know, initial visit, or even in that visit particular we can address them over a course of time. But I want to make sure that, you know, whatever it is that is a concern, we are at least touching on it, and then we can follow up on it.

Nimeet K 13:45
So there's a lot of things you recommended throughout this talk. What is something else you recommend for young women to live a happy, healthy life?

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 13:53
I would say balance. You know, I think it's important to make sure that you're taking care of your health internally. So all the things we talked about proper nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress management, but also externally, meaning relationally, so making sure that you have really good relationships with your friends, with your family, and then engaging in activities that you enjoy and challenging yourself, whether that's with work or finding new hobbies.

Nimeet K 14:17
Yeah, I think moderation is where it's at, right? Even social media in moderation, it's okay, but if you're on it for many hours a day, or it's impacting your day to day life, it could be concerning. So everything in moderation, I like that, having a nice balance across everything.

Shanna M 14:32
Well, thank you, Dr. Anyaoku, we love having you on all the time. We so appreciate you and what you do here at Adventist HealthCare.

Ogechi Anyaoku, MD 14:40
Thank you so much.

Shanna M 14:41
Thank you. To find information about Dr. Anyaoku, today, you can visit AdventistHealthCare.com and click find a doctor, and all the resources we mentioned and more information can be found in today's episode show notes. And we'd also always love to hear from you our listeners. You can let us know if you like the podcast by leaving a review, or you can email Podcast@AdventistHealthCare.com and let us know what healthcare topics you want to know more about. Don't forget to subscribe so you get all of our new episodes. Thank you and be well.