Women's Health Takes a Front Seat at Upcoming Film Screening
Women's health issues are often minimized. An upcoming film screening aims to raise awareness of health care disparities.
Director Shannon Cohn knows we don't talk enough about women's health. After spending years trying to find a diagnosis for her medical symptoms, she has become an advocate in a big way, directing and producing two films and touring the country to raise awareness about endometriosis and the inequities in women's health care.
"Women's problems" have traditionally been minimized in society, suffering from the self-reinforcing trifecta of not being understood, not being studied, and not being discussed. Many people with uteruses endure years of agony, blood loss, and infertility before finally gathering the courage to seek treatment—only to be confronted by doctors who don't take them seriously or who aren't able to provide them with solutions. In fact, according to the Below the Belt informational flyer, 1 in 10 women suffer from endometriosis (which is only one of a number of uterine conditions and causes 50% of all infertility), and the average time to diagnosis is ten years. That's the time it takes for a child to be born, grow up and graduate the fifth grade.
The Board of Health will be holding a screening of Cohn's film, Below the Belt, next Wednesday, June 5, at 5:30 PM at Grand View Farm. The film follows four patients seeking answers and looks at issues with endometriosis diagnosis and care. A panel discussion featuring local endometriosis surgeon Dr. Malcolm Mackenzie will follow.
To register for this event, please email the Board of Health or give them a call at 781-270-1955. Space is limited.
