Intersecting Mental Health and Reproductive Health
by Dr. Eliezer Bernard Owusu Ntim
Mental health and reproductive health intersect in ways important to every person’s well-being.
About a week ago, a client presented to me with complaints of inability to achieve erection over six months. A background check revealed he found pornography as a pleasurable source of happiness and would rather watch an erotic video rather than go to work. He was dependent and had tried several efforts to stop; however, his efforts were always futile.
In my assessment, he was brought to the enlightenment that he was not alone, and he was part of the significant number of individuals who viewed adult videos to achieve momentary pleasure. Despite his constant complaints about his reproductive health, I discovered he had diabetes during his next session; therefore, I started him on anti-diabetics and referred him to the psychologist for addiction counseling to halt this troubling behaviour.
After a month, he achieved optimal reproductive results after his blood sugar was under control, and as difficult as it was, he had weaned himself off pornography. He thanked me profusely as he left the consulting room.
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), reproductive health is defined as the total well-being and proper functioning of reproductive organs in all phases of reproduction. This definition also encompasses a complete state of mental, physical and social well-being.
In 2008, the WHO realised that reproductive and sexual ill-health accounted for 20% of the global burden of ill-health for women and 14% for men.
Again, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists highlight that fertility starts to drop considerably around the age of 32, and around 37, it mainly has a deep dive. By age 44, chances of spontaneous pregnancy approach zero. Women of childbearing age are thereby encouraged to have children before 35. Pregnancy after 40 is considered a high-risk pregnancy.
About 10 - 15% of women in developed countries and 20-40% in developing countries experience depression during pregnancy or after childbirth. Again, women with serious mental illness (SMI) tend to have more lifetime sexual partners, limited care of contraception and unplanned pregnancy.
Mental, sexual and reproductive health form an integral part of overall health and the well-being of an individual. Different phases and changes in sexual and reproductive behaviour can play a vital role in determining and shaping an individual's mental health status.
Throughout their lives, women's risk for developing mental health problems fluctuates along with reproductive changes. However, research in psychological science seldom investigates the intersection of reproductive health and mental health.
Mental health and sexual health are two facets of a coin that cannot be emphasised well enough. The magnitude of sexual and reproductive health challenges can result in early or unwanted pregnancy, gender-based violence and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. These and many others significantly impact young people's mental health.
To improve reproductive health in young people, strategies have to be implemented to introduce sex education in primary schools. This method creates awareness about safe sexual practices. Also, people in the marriageable group should be educated about infertility, birth control methods, pregnancy and post child care.
Lastly, it is also essential to provide proper medical facilities to deal with obstacles that make achieving pregnancy difficult. These include assisted reproductive technologies. Birth control methods should be made widely available and easily accessible to people of reproductive ages to limit unplanned pregnancies and prevent sexually transmitted infections.
"Every second, every day, every year, we fail to address the demand for reproductive health and family planning services. Lives are lost, and girls' opportunities to thrive and contribute to their country's development shrink. These are real people" - Jenny Shipley.
REFERENCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_and_reproductive_health
https://byjus.com/biology/reproductive-health-problems-strategies/