5 Tips on How to Get Your Husband Involved in Your Health
The week after I got back from my honeymoon, I knew there was something wrong with my body. I was experiencing sharp pelvic pain. The pain was there during and after intercourse. Every doctor would give me the same advise, “You’re just not used to married life. You just need to take your time before you can enjoy it.” Without doing any further examinations, they put me on birth control in hopes to solve the pain issues. When the side effects from the pills were worsening the condition, it was time for multiple lab tests. After three months of regular doctor visits, they were finally able to identify the cause of the pain: an ovarian cyst caused by endometriosis. On top of that, I found out my body doesn’t ovulate—a condition known as chronic anovulation.
Although the process to get diagnosed required patience, my husband’s full support made the doctor visits less painful. When some doctors made me think that the pain was just imaginative, having my husband there kept me feeling safe.
Going to doctor visits on your own can be frightening in situations like mine. When we live far away from our mothers and it feels like there is no one we can rely on, having our husbands by our sides helps us feel emotionally secure. Here are 5 tips to get your husband involved in your health.
1. Be open about your annual women’s physical The annual physical is awkward for women, so of course it’s awkward for your husband. Talk to him about why the annual physical is important. In our family, my husband reminds me that it’s time to schedule a doctor visit when we’re making plans for our wedding anniversary.
2. Go to a doctor visit together at least once I am always surprised to see men in the waiting room at a gynecologist. This is proof that many husbands tag along with their wives to the doctor. Tell him that he will not be the only man there. Let him know that you need his emotional support. At the visit, make sure to ask any questions you have so that your husband can learn more about the female body.
3. Talk about the side effects of your medication If you are on birth control, have you talked to your husband about the possible side effects? Perhaps you feel nauseous or you may have frequent headaches. If your husband understands the pain associate with the side effects, you might be able to get out of cooking dinner the next time you have a headache.
4. Plan meals together You probably know that taking folic acid helps prevent birth defects, but does he? Explain why you decided to use broccoli—an ingredient rich in folic acid—in your casserole. A simple meal can become a conversation starter for women’s health.
5. Look for treatments Say you have heavy menstrual pain and you take painkillers for it. Does your husband know about that? When I talked to my husband about my menstrual cramps, he looked for treatments besides painkillers. We found out that reducing the amount of caffeine intake two weeks after a period reduces the pain for the next period. Reducing caffeine can also help with other women’s health issues such as decreasing premenstrual syndrome, lessening the chances of osteoporosis, and increasing the chances of becoming pregnant.
When you follow these steps, you will find it easier to talk to your husband about your health problems. When you get your husband involved in your health, he will give you the emotional strength to make that gynecologist appointment you’ve been dreading.