Empowering Health & Body Literacy: Understanding Your Anatomy with Dr. Gylynthia Trotman

On this week's episode, discover how to navigate the often-overlooked waters of health literacy and body knowledge with Dr. Gylynthia Trotman, MD MPH. Dr. Trotman is an expert in pediatric and adolescent gynecology. She is the Director of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology within the Mount Sinai Health System in New York, where she specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with medical and surgical gynecologic problems from infancy through young adulthood.

Together, we navigate the path toward a world where every individual feels empowered to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.

In this discussion, Dr. Trotman and I delve into strategies that transcend financial boundaries, offering insights to enhance understanding of one's body. Brace yourself for an exploration of crucial yet sometimes uncomfortable conversations between parents, caregivers, and children surrounding reproductive health. Our aim is clear – to demystify sexual health and menstrual cycles, dispel dangerous myths, and empower you to become an advocate for yourself or your loved ones during medical visits. Throughout this dialogue, we tackle the use of anatomical terms, explore the concepts of good touch and bad touch, and confront cultural stigmas that often impede these discussions. Discover with us the keys to fostering proactive health behaviors and the pivotal role healthcare providers play in patient advocacy and more.

So, grab a cup of London Fog and join us as we unravel the complexities of health literacy, advocacy, and the sheer power of knowledge.


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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to Tea with Tanya. I'm your host, tanya Ambrose, an average millennial navigating life as a maternal health professional, non-profit founder and wet student. Join me in the tea tasting mode, where we spill the tea and find and balance and promote a positive living while doing it all. Hey friend, welcome back to another episode of Tea with Tanya. I am happy to have you back here in the tea tasting room with me. It's always a pleasure and a privilege to be able to talk it up with you every week. Now, on today's episode, I will say today's tea came highly recommended by a fellow podcast sister. So shout out to Lucy over at the Barbable podcast for recommending this tea. And it's London Fog and if you have a love for chai, this is something that you might like. So it's basically the Earl Grey tea. So you can probably use the twinning brand shout out to twinning, I guess, but you can use the twinning Earl Grey tea and you can mix that with some milk and honey and add a dash of cinnamon, and she recommended that. And I've had the Earl Grey with just milk and brown sugar, so I've never tried it with honey or even the dash of cinnamon, and I've been doing that and let me tell you and I do add a little bit of nutmeg, because I'm just a tea and I can't help myself but definitely try this. It is very. It just tastes amazing and it's been a staple in my daily routine. Whether it's morning, afternoon or evening tea, I do have a cup of this daily. So shout out to Lucy over at the Barbable podcast for recommending this to me.

Speaker 1: 1:41

Now for today's episode. I'm going to be talking to someone very near and dear to my heart, and I know I said this about every guest, but again, when I talk about the pop-up social media, I met her on social media. We started following each other and, long story short, we're all tied together. This is someone who I look up to, someone who I admire, someone who she doesn't even know this, but she, she's becoming slowly a mentor because she, the way she encourages me, the way she supports me and the work that I do. It's amazing to have a fellow Caribbean sister who does amazing things to encourage you and support you and to have in your corner. So I'm definitely excited to be speaking to Dr Trotman Today. She is, and of course, you know how we do it here. She's going to introduce herself, but I just want to point out that she is a or she serves as a director of pediatric and adolescent scan ecology for the Malt Sinai Health System. She's an accomplished OBGYN, so I'm just excited. We're going to be talking about addressing health literacy in our overall health reproductive health, prevention and maintenance, our menstrual cycles, sexual health and the knowledge of our body. These are some of the things that we're going to be talking about as we try to understand our anatomy, as we aim to be more healthy and more knowledgeable of our bodies, and the key term here is health literacy and body literacy. So I am excited to be talking it up with her today.

Speaker 1: 3:06

Well, welcome to the Tea Tasting Room.

Speaker 1: 3:08

Dr Trotman, it's a pleasure to have you here looking all beautiful on my screen. It's a pleasure to have you finally here in the Tea Tasting Room. Like I mentioned earlier that we met on social media randomly. I don't even remember how, but we met there randomly and for some reason we just connected. The energy was good that I saw you in my country like a week before I was going, and I was over that for a little bit, and here you are In my life. I mentioned earlier in the intro that I consider you a mentor, even though I didn't tell you that, but you're someone that I look up to and the work that you're doing in this community is very, very important, so I'm happy that you're taking time out of your very, very busy schedule to talk to me today. Good guys, she is a superwoman. I mean, I don't know if that's the right term, but she is doing it all the more she got to do to ensure that our society is better. So tell us a little bit about yourself and don't leave anything out, okay.

Speaker 2: 4:01

Oh God, good for that intro. Yeah, I think it's funny because it's a social media thing. I'm not big on social media but stepped in so many great things happen. So meeting you and I do feel that nice connection. You know what I love it, it's like my next place that I have to take. So I am Jalindya Trotman. I am a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist in New York City. So what does that mean? That means that I did OBGYN for training and after I just found my passion for the younger population, to take care primarily of children and adolescents. Young adulthood in my day to day, you know, so day to day work, involves a lot of education and that is my passion health literacy for really all-comers because, you know, pediatric oncology is something that people don't know about, but particularly for our people. So for people of our background who tends to have a low health literacy place and a low resource place, and recognizing that you don't need a lot of funds to actually promote health, you just need them. So that's my thing.

Speaker 1: 5:08

And I'm happy you said that, because I think that's one of the things that we connect with too, because I have an nonprofit and one of our goals is to provide health education to adolescents and young adults as well, even the younger ones as well, because you know it's pre-teens, whatever you want to call it. Because again, coming from where we're coming from, from our background, from our people, health literacy is not a thing. We're now just starting to see the word body literacy or health literacy becoming a little bit more popular in especially because of social media. But again, that can also. There are other things on social media. I have a love on hate relationship with social media. It's good for educating, it's good for networking, but then there's also a lot of fluff, a lot of misinformation that's out there.

Speaker 1: 5:47

So I'm happy that I'm here to talk to you as it relates to health literacy, knowing about our different anatomy and these different things, because it's important. So my question is when you talk about and talk to me, I want to know. Even though I may know some things, I don't know everything, like you mentioned before we started this episode. You know, good is enough. I don't want to be perfect, I don't want to be here, even though I'm the host, acting like I know it all, even though I may know enough in my opinion, but for me, every day is always an opportunity to learn something new. It doesn't matter if it's in the field like you're working or not. So talk to me or my listeners. When you talk about health literacy, what exactly does that mean? When we're talking about that?

Speaker 2: 6:21

Yeah. So you know, the important thing is that, even as a provider myself and I've been a doctor for too many years, too many only in the last couple of years came across the term health literacy and understood what that really means. So that means having enough knowledge, having enough information and having enough agency to know what's happening for your body and then make the right decision for that. So a lot of times we may have the knowledge and the information, but we're not, we don't have the agency, we don't have the autonomy in order to make the right decisions or in order to advocate for ourselves. So literacy spans not only the knowledge but also the action right, and that's why we need to be literate. And you know, for a lot of people, regardless, we just don't even have the knowledge right. So you know, pick any family member or you're on a meds. What meds are you on? Oh, I don't know the doctor raise it, blah, blah, blah.

Speaker 1: 7:14

So my pressure, my pressure peeled. What exactly is your pressure field doing in our? Yeah?

Speaker 2: 7:19

Because I have a pain in my neck when it's completely not supposed to be managed that way, right, or the way the angle that I come from, health literacy is more of a public health angle. So that means preventing having knowledge, having agency, before we actually develop some of the diseases or develop some of the syndrome, or, if we get them, not having to necessarily struggle and suffer before we get them managed. So that's why I absolutely love the younger demographic, because this really has the opportunity to instill that literacy and they don't even have to put a name on it, like they don't have to consider that, oh, I'm health literate, they just have to know it's always this way. Yes, I know my body, I know what's normal for me, I know this is not normal and if something comes up, I know who to tell and where to go right. So that's my and that's just my definition. Someone may have one, you know, but that's just how I see health literacy.

Speaker 1: 8:11

And I think for me, one of the ways I see it too, as I'm listening to you talking, is making sure that we're calling things by the correct term as well. You know, again, everybody's not going to know the right term for everything, but when we're talking about understanding what's going on in our body, you know, I've heard so many terms that somewhere so new to me, I'm like, okay, I'm not that old, but where have I been as to why I've never heard this word? Or like I've heard so many terms for the vagina. Oh yeah, I said you know, we have. Let's say, one of the terms is vulva, but people are not going to sell my vulva. We're going to say the vagina when it comes to understanding that part of our body.

Speaker 1: 8:45

But I've heard so many different terms and I'm like, okay, like when we have our events, I can actually get from my non-profit. We're asking the younger girls, and these are like eight, nine, 10 year olds, thinking, oh, do you know what this part is? And, Dr Trotman, some of the words that I heard, I was like I want to hear you on nine, I'm 10. Who is teaching you these words? But again, when you're coming from a particular background, you know, it's just not. I guess it's normal, it shouldn't be normal, but then again, that's where the hell literacy comes in. So I want to touch really briefly maybe, if you can, even the four listeners, like when we're talking about the vulva and the vagina, like explain to us that difference, and then we're going to ask how we can improve our health literacy as well. But what is the difference? Why do we, why do you think it's more common for us to call it oh, my vagina, or the other words, versus the vulva, which is the actual right term for it?

Speaker 2: 9:34

So first, I'm so happy you brought up this word about the vagina. I spend all day telling full and primary roles what the right word is, and I remember we never called a vagina either. Right, that's all the words that you use for it. Some of that, even even before thinking about the difference between the vagina and the vulva, some of that vagina as a whole, it's a bad word or it's a prior area or something that in multiple down there is down there in multiple societies, women are not supposed to be like happy and proud about the vagina. Have you ever said the word vagina out loud? And like a random place everyone's going to look at you, right it?

Speaker 1: 10:09

took me a while to be comfortable even saying the word vagina in my age, in my era of life, you know.

Speaker 2: 10:14

Exactly so the number.

Speaker 2: 10:16

The first thing is a lot of the cultural norms universally really around. That's a bad word, that's a bad area. We keep that to ourselves. We don't really say it, so we change the word for it to words that are more acceptable. So whatever the words we use or you know, here in the States a lot of people may say they're cookie or they flower all types of words you teach these little girls you know little people to say, and that has a lot of problems. Number one to put shame on a part of your body, formal and healthy, that's number one. Number two for the younger children, it actually sets them up for the risk of care providers not knowing that someone has touched them inappropriately. So the teacher and says XYZ, touch my cookie. That teacher may not realize that that means that they touch their vagina right, it may evolve.

Speaker 2: 11:00

They may think it's a literal cookie. So I spent a lot of times teaching families, caregivers, children, to use the right word. So that's the first thing. So, vulva and vagina the vagina is the tube inside of the body that connects the external genitalia, which is the vulva, which is what we see, which is the part that the hair grows on called the Mons, and the labia majora, which are the fatter lips. The inside of that is a labia menorah, which are thinner and sometimes extends beyond the majora. So the vagina connects that area with our cervix and our uterus on the inside. So no one, or in very, I can think, about very few times people would actually see the vagina. So when people oh, they looked at my vagina, what they're actually speaking to is the vulva. So the vulva is that part of our anatomy that we can see on the outside and people that were born with a female genitalia, while the vagina is a tube on the inside. So that's the clear difference. It's used interchangeably just to make it easier.

Speaker 2: 12:04

But truly, if we're teaching our young ones, we should be teaching them about their vulva, the part that we clean on the outside, and the vagina, the tube on the inside that no one should see.

Speaker 1: 12:13

And I'm glad you explained it that way and I hope you guys listen in we'll get a better understanding Again. Nothing is wrong, essentially, if you were to say vagina, because again, it's what's commonly accepted. But when we're dealing with the younger population, it's very, very important that we're using the right terms. And I do want to jump in with a question that I don't know if I should leave it towards the end or not. But when we're dealing with the younger population, when it comes to parents and talking about, again, teaching their children about their different body parts, how can a parent that's listening, or an aunt or someone who's working in the younger population, how can they address, I guess, these issues? Because again, a child coming to teach you, oh, my cookie, I'm thinking, okay, was it chocolate chip or was it an Oreo? I'm not thinking your vagina.

Speaker 1: 12:57

So again, if a parent is telling, because again there's a stigma attached to talking about our private part, even saying the word breast has been stigmatized as well.

Speaker 1: 13:10

I was like for years I was like, oh my God, not my birth, I can't even say it Again. Growing up in the culture that I did as well, it was something that I didn't feel comfortable even saying out of love. But how can a parent, when talking to their child as growing up, when they talk Because I guess I'm thinking of one of my developmental psychology classes, I've been years now, I probably forgot but they talk about, I guess, children seeing their parents in a different way and seeing certain parts, though they identify with their the same sex parent or whatever the case may be. But how can a parent essentially talk to their child about the right, using the correct terms for their body part, maybe talking about good touch, bad touch? That's something that we deal with when it comes to scrub-life kids as well. How can we, I guess, foster that communication with our parents and child and then, of course, with the provider as well?

Speaker 2: 13:53

Yeah. So the first step and I get this a lot too and these questions, although we identify culturally, it spans all cultures, I'm telling you, and it's really universal. The first thing is the parent or the caregiver being comfortable themselves, and that is what usually the issue. So I have a lot of moms, even last week, how do I talk to my five and seven year old about these things? And I thought it was interesting, because the older child is already seven. So it's like whoa, that means you have not even broken up. Yeah, what is it? So they're also coming in with their own lived experiences, right? So you know, when they were growing up. Many, many times this is this is behaviors that their own caregivers mirrored, or we also don't know if parents are coming from a background of having some sort of trauma, some types of intimate violence, or there's so many different things that bring it to the table.

Speaker 2: 14:45

So the first step is the comfort of the caregiver or the parent themselves, with those words and knowing what the anatomy is too. So educate yourself. How is the best way to get that? Educate yourself from reliable resources, right? So you know, I don't like Dr Google, but Google does Google sometimes a pain in my existence, and social media too, although I'm so happy you mentioned the gift and the curse of it. But there are actually some credible sources with both right. There are sources you can go to from Google, from social media, from licensed professionals that can give you that information.

Speaker 2: 15:17

But I actually have parents use certain books and certain like child appropriate books, first to read when they're not educate themselves and then bring those age appropriate books to their children. So there are some books that are targeted to like six and seven and eight year olds, before puberty, that talks about the anatomy in language. That's appropriate. Lots of pictures at that point you want to really focus on, yeah, Lots of pictures that they can look at and together the parent or caregiver and child can learn together. The earlier you start that, the more you are actually empowering your young one to a know their body so that they'll know when something is wrong or when someone's touching me and hopefully doesn't get touching or when someone's approaching them in a wrong way. They'll be empowered, so they're going to grow into a person that actually takes advantage of their health a little bit more just because they actually know.

Speaker 2: 16:10

You know the amount of teenagers I have that have no idea what's happening down there and how to clear a little bit of pain and they're nervous and they're afraid and they're suffering for months and it's like, oh no, this is simple, we can just do this right.

Speaker 2: 16:25

So, in order to get that language, I use simple language with parents. I'm like just start, if they're not comfortable, find a resource that works for you. Sometimes I can help them with some resources, or sometimes, in the office myself, the parent or caregiver and the child. We're doing it all together. I'm like what's this called? What's that called? This is the name, what do you call it? Okay, there's certain things you know and some of these children or young ones they know, and the parents use it. Yep, I told them since day one. I've always been calling it the both. I've always been calling it the vagina, and parents were not comfortable. If you can verbalize that, then get the books, get the right tools, but you should not shy away from it or they feel like I can't even go there. Then bring your child to a care provider that can do those things for you with you in the room. You'll learn a lot from that as well, right? Pediatricians, pediatric gynecologists like myself, family practice doctors there's a lot of people who can fit that role.

Speaker 1: 17:22

I don't want to talk about again ways we can improve health literacy, but also what are some information or some key information that we should be aware of when it comes to our reproductive health, like prevention and maintenance. Because for me, I will say this I'm a public health professional. I have whatever knowledge I have, but whenever it comes to me, you have to go see my primary care provider. I can gas somebody, or I can tell my sisters or friends I will give them an entire list of things to ask their provider. When you go into the doctor, if the provider is saying something that we don't necessarily agree with, I'm telling you, I'm teaching you how to speak up for yourself, but when it comes to myself, I am not necessarily taking my own advice. To be honest, it sucks, it's not good at all. I'm not encouraging you listening to be like me. I'm working through that, but for some reason I don't know what it is I just associate having to see my doctor or having to see my gynecologist that I'm going to have something negative. They're going to tell me something negative towards the end, right? So sometimes, even though I have, I'm going into my provider with some set of questions to ask, based on how I'm feeling with my body. Because, again, I think, when it comes to health literacy and our body literacy, knowing being in tune with your body to an extent helps as well, because we can't expect our providers to help us if we ourselves don't really know. You know our bodies are normal, different health issues, but how can we improve or how can like what is some information when it comes to preventing or maintaining, because sometimes people are not going for their pap smear. If you're of that age, people are not doing that.

Speaker 1: 18:50

When it comes to, again, for our younger populations, I know, against in our culture, if you're 11, 12, and you're having to go see a pediatric gynecologist, oh you know, are you fast or your force ripe, like what? Why? You know there's some negative connotation, but it's a part of, just again, preventative measures. Yes, so about you know, at 12, 13 years old, having heavy periods, having severe crimes, throwing up cannot even go to school, should not be normal. And I remember going up in my high school I had classmates who would throw up when they're on their cycle, their bleed extremely heavy, they would have severe crimes, and we all just said, oh, that's normal, that's just her, that's you know, or that's just them, and it doesn't affect me right now, but that's just them, so we accepted it.

Speaker 1: 19:33

So, again, what is some key information? For what is parents listening or someone like my age, whatever it is, the young adult when we are going to see a kid provider like? Why is it that we're so afraid of? What should we be knowledgeable about when it comes to preventing and maintaining our, when it comes to people that's in health, because we know where all this world is when we're right now. We have to measure that that's a priority as well. So what are some things we should be knowing in regards to that?

Speaker 2: 19:58

Oh, that's a big one. So I have, I have a tip that in a couple of buckets.

Speaker 1: 20:01

Yes, yes, I know I said a lot to get it.

Speaker 2: 20:06

That's the truth. I just yes, I agree with you say on a personal level, on a population level, on a thing level. So the first thing is the doctor truck, the doctor fear. Right, that comes from a variety of reasons, but there is some. There is a shift in power dynamic.

Speaker 2: 20:21

Even as a professional myself in the gynecologist, when I go to my GYN I had in my mind is out the window, I don't know what it is. She walks into the room and everything is great, there is no problem. So one of there is. There is a true hierarchy, you know a true sense of I want to please that person. That's probably not even the right words, but you don't want to come across as bad or dirty, you know. You know, and that is personality dependent, because they're not everyone is like that, Some people are like. Here comes my list of things. You are not going to leave until you answer every last one of these questions. So some of that is some internal work, right, and I do. The GYN specific does come with a little added level of a fear and of concern and of worry, because again, it states back to how we deal with our reproductive health and the fact that this stuff that we've kept very private. We don't talk about this. People talk about their high blood pressure all the time.

Speaker 1: 21:23

Oh, my high cholesterol. Oh, my cholesterol is high. What's?

Speaker 2: 21:26

acceptable? Diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, headaches, migraines. How many people are you going to be in a room Tell them about their vaginal discharge and tell them oh, my vaginal discharge doesn't smell good or my vulva is itchy or or a bleeding all the time? The room is going to be empty.

Speaker 2: 21:44

No one's going to say anything right, so we don't have that same sense of community, sense of support, like go talk to your doctor about that, because you know it's not normal. So you're coming, so you're coming a lot of times with that too. And then there is a lot of let's not forget, there is a lot of reason to mistrust the healthcare system and some, you know, in many settings there's a big mistrust of providers. There is warranted mistrust of providers. We don't have that's a whole other podcast as far as, historically, what has happened. And now what I find is, unfortunately we have a historic facts that now people are now limiting access to care or unable to kind of ask that when you know a lot has changed or they are not, or there are lots of good care providers who can give you the care that you're supposed to get, but you're not even getting to them. Why? Because I'm afraid, I'm scared. I'm just going to deal with it. I'm going to do this home remedy. It works. I listen to this. I have this Bush for you, I have this thing for you, or whatever. Or I'm going to go to maybe some of the holistic providers which there is room for that, but also there's room for evidence based medicine as well. Right, that's the first level of like.

Speaker 2: 22:53

Why is it to and you're a care provider yourself to, because you do a lot of work in the healthcare Talking, why are we able to tell our loved ones you better go, but then for ourselves, not tell our, not do the same for ourselves. Let me tell you, like physicians are one of the most and Please people don't put me on all of a sudden Physicians are unhealthy, don't do. There is a big epidemic with health care providers as a whole, with not having good health care themselves. Right, because we're taking care of other people and we're not always in care of ourselves Mentally, physically, not getting to our own checkups, and those things too. So, though, so the question you have spans a lot.

Speaker 2: 23:35

We can delve into any one of those things, and that always then goes back to my thing the knowledge and the agency and the action. Right, you have the knowledge, you know what to do. Why are we not taking the steps? Different people have different reasons as to why that is. I think there's a lot of good reasons for that. We just have to know. Why is it that, I'm afraid? Is it because I had a bad experience with up care provider?

Speaker 2: 23:57

I'm not a lot of times, that can be it too you know yeah is it because I'm super sensitive to my you know, to my reproductive health and I'm worried that I have a family member with cervical cancer or variant cancer? Now I'm scared I get that diagnosis? Or do I just not think it's important because I'm healthy and I know I'm fine and I don't need a checkup, right? So we have to kind of check ourselves as to what those you know, what are those reasons? Finding the right care provider matters, and I do know that when people know their provider Cures and when people have that relationship with their provider, they're more likely to come back. That is a fact.

Speaker 2: 24:34

So one of the one of the like mantras or statements that I have everywhere is that the patient doesn't care how much you know Until they know how much you care. I don't know who they're talking about, but it's not mine, it comes from someone. Maybe we can find it and put that there. Yes, but it is true, it is so true. So you know. So you know trial and error with providers sometimes looking them up. I'm not big on like Google reviews, to be honest, because sometimes they don't always see the right nail.

Speaker 1: 25:04

Pressure people to giving them good reviews too.

Speaker 2: 25:06

You know that's a thing before that so yeah you know finding sources, listening to your friends asking for personal referrals. You know recommendations for providers, asking one accident doctor for another referral. You know there's so many ways to get provider that you may identify with better. I think all those things would help the first part right, but I too struggle with that. Like so for me personally. I put it up on my list Okay, before the end of this month I must schedule my annual physical.

Speaker 1: 25:33

I must.

Speaker 2: 25:35

And then it's, and then I come to the practicalities of I'm so busy I need to do it for myself.

Speaker 2: 25:39

Yeah, the second part of Wow this is where my life work comes in the living with misconceptions and suffering from, like mental pain, pelvic pain or other kind of collage issues that we all grew up in. That's normal, it's a normal part of life. Me law quality of life is substantially negatively impacted is. That is my life, work and that is I want to kind of let people know what's normal and okay and what's what's no. I'm like okay, right, this is normal and okay. Fine, this is normal and questionable. And then this is just not okay, right and a lot of that I grew up with. That too. You know Hearing the. If you were in vomiting and laying in bed for three days for your period, then that was not even a normal period, right.

Speaker 1: 26:28

Yeah, I guess that's what. That's crazy yes.

Speaker 2: 26:31

Like you know, oh I, people can even walk in the house when I would have my, have my period, because any, any movement in the house made and any sound, yes, he's down. Anything makes it normal. So what I try to do is I have to educate both the person the younger person, older person, right, right, it's not just limited to adolescence. We spam the whole reproductive age. It's as select what is normal, right and what is normal. And then what's happening for you? And are you in one of those three buckets? And a lot of times people are In the bucket of like it's normal but not okay, or questionable, or this is just not at all, and they thought that, oh, I suffer every single month for weeks, for like two weeks out of the month I'm struggling, but I knew that's, that's okay, and I kind of have to go back to say, well, that's not okay right Because missing school, we're missing work, we're missing Social activities is all.

Speaker 2: 27:25

Mental health is a big thing, you know. We talk about social for adolescents, but we know in the older population, depression is directly tied with lack of socialization. You are unable to participate in family functions or an important functions because of your cycle or because of some other health concern. That is big right, yeah. And then we have to traverse the provider mistrust. Or you come into the office and if I'm saying, okay, well, I think you should do this, and that the minute we bring up the medicines, oh, they want Medicine medicine what?

Speaker 2: 27:57

else can we do? Are there things we can do?

Speaker 1: 27:59

Absolutely, but sometimes medicine is a part of that, so spending you know, I don't want to cut you off, I said that part again. There are things that we can do, but medicine is also a part of it, because I think sometimes we forget that part, like we have the, because of the mistrust. We just like, oh, let's just put medicine to this. That is not in support of the process as well. Medicine is part of the process and it's funny. I have.

Speaker 2: 28:19

I have both extremes. I have some people, when you come to see me, we spent a lot of time talking. I talk and talk and then they talk about, which is good. You know, I love to be able to provide time for people, I see. But sometimes I spend half of the time talking about lifestyle changes and people Don't want to hear it. Sometimes they're like what do you mean Medicine? I'm like well, it goes hand in hand.

Speaker 2: 28:38

Yeah talk about the medicine. They're like what do you mean? I just want the lifestyle thing. I spend a lot of time Blending and saying listen, you know a lot of times these things. Holistic means all together Option for you that is the most acceptable but also has the least side effects. Everything I offer you is gonna be safe, because I'm not in the business of offering things that are not safe for the most part and things that are that have been tested and Qualified before we basically go there. So, yeah, yeah. So that's hopefully that answered the big part of your question and then I'm happy to delve into like what's normal.

Speaker 1: 29:17

People do not know what I want to talk about what's normal. The thing is I have a Love hate relationship with the word normal and the reason why when I was a nursing school I had a professor or something we were talking about. She basically was trying to say that we shouldn't use the word normal when it comes to medicine, because you know it can be subjective. It's just not gonna be my normal, is not gonna be your normal. So we try to go from like what's your baseline?

Speaker 1: 29:42

Mm-hmm point of view. Like you know, at that time we were doing like blood pressure checking. At the time I was here was usually your base and when he comes to your your blood pressure, like, is it high, is it low, is it in between? So for me, no. I think that was one of the key takeaways I took from that moment.

Speaker 2: 29:56

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 29:57

I'm not a nurse anymore. I'll never, was ever a nurse but was under, was under, was on the journey to that. But every time I go to my doctor and you know they're taking my blood pressure, oxygen, everything, you know you, they have a thing where they won't necessarily tell me what it is. I'm like, okay, I need to know, like tell me what's my, because I know, I know, know what my baseline is, if you know if I'm gonna be 130 over something that we got a problem, I don't run that high, you know, for me. I mean why we still in the normal range. For me it is still be a little bit high by my standard because my baseline. So I guess that's why I say I have a love hate relationship with Normal. But I get, I get why we use it. But from a menstrual cycle standpoint, you know this is this is like where we probably spend more time. I don't know we. I've had friends, like I said again, who To this day I'm still, I'm vomiting and I'm in severe crimes.

Speaker 1: 30:45

Then now, as we're older, some are now being diagnosed with PCOS or end of vitreosis and these different things, and I know we mentioned earlier about the Importance of preventative measures, are going to see your care provider, even from a young age because, again, culturally, 12, 13, 14, 15, you know you having these severe pains on your parents. Now you telling your parents you want to go see a doctor, the first thing they start thinking, oh, are you sexually active? I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna say, because it's just, it's just, I've seen it, you know, it's just the reality video. Are you sexually active? That's the first thing. So we're not even fostering a healthy communication when it comes to our bodies, between our child and the parent. You know, because it's just a negative connotation. Oh, you're at the age now when you, so, when you, when you start your period, it automatically means something sexually, which is just so mind-blowing to me. How can a young person know you and whatever age group you fall into, who's not battling severe pain, severe mental pain, extreme heavy bleeding? How can we break down the importance of Talking about this to your care provider? Or even if you care provider may not, because I know sometimes I don't want to say when I'm gonna say sometimes people, I don't want to go because the first thing they're gonna tell me is go and break control, yeah, and that's that's. That's just a big thing in and that's a whole other episode that I'm gonna record for this, for this season Too.

Speaker 1: 32:03

But it's just, it's a big thing and I'm like you know, okay, you know life-sounding medicine, you know they go hand in hand of course they pose and constate everything in life. But that's a misconception. Oh, I don't want to be in break and choice, I'm just gonna sit here suffering silence, I'm gonna throw up every day, I'm gonna be out for two weeks, can't work, can't have a social life. Then during that time, with the changes in hormones, my mental health is deteriorating because I refuse to, quote-unquote, find an alternative to alleviate my, my issues when it comes to the mental cycle. So what is a misconception when it comes to our mental cycle? From a? I Guess I've lost the abnormal standpoint. Then I you know, person with a heavy period XYZ, you're being taller, going breakage, like what.

Speaker 1: 32:44

What can we debunk that like? How can we encourage those listening to Speak up one to your cable ride? I know we have that anxiety when it comes to dealing with all doctors, aka me. But If something is not right, yeah, you know there's something is not right, especially when it because I'm very passionate about reproductive health. I tell myself, not in my prime myself. Pregnancy phase, maybe five years from now, we don't know. But you know, I'm trying to make these necessary lifestyle changes now. Yeah, I'm trying. I'm noticing certain changes in my body. Well, it's a body or whatever. It is a discharge, whatever the case may be.

Speaker 1: 33:15

But again, these are not conversations that we are having openly enough. Correct, when we're talking about health literacy, again, we're not as literate when it comes to our health and our bodies because again, society, and depending on where you are in the world Culturally, is just not Welcome enough. Mm-hmm, all right. So what are some misconceptions when it comes to your mental cycle and how can we encourage the listeners to speak up? Go get help. This is not normal, because you don't want to wait till you're 35, oh, and then you're being told now that you are, you have endometriosis and then you know there's just so many other reproductive health issues that you could have prevented had you spoken up. So I guess we want to debunk some of these misconceptions from your line of work on what you've seen, yeah, your population, and just in your career. So much, so much.

Speaker 2: 34:02

No, I mean not so much in a bad way. So much is like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This is like a five episode podcast Right now. The first I completely agree with you with the word normal, and I tend to not use normal as it relates to someone's body in the Oral room almost never like not, obviously, sometimes I may say it or whatever. And then good, because I completely agree, right, what does normal mean? So, with the word normal, we it's like a cop out a lot of times. I like, I like how you kind of mentioned when you're related to, like, your blood pressures is normal, but what is it? Because that's the only way that you then get to see small, subtle changes that impact your decision-making before it becomes not normal, right, and what is the range of normal? So I love the fact that in your daily life, you've actually done that. I completely agree with your professor or whoever told you that before, because it's it's definitely true, and I don't use it in the office as it relates to people's bodies, because everyone's bodies is so very different. So I tend to use a word like, if we're talking about menstrual cycles, like typical or sometimes normal, depending what it is, or for their body itself. You know, yeah, this is, this is your body and this is what's more typical and this and that. And you know there's a range and a spectrum. So I completely agree with that.

Speaker 2: 35:15

The other part is like what is a Typical cycle and what are some misconceptions we have? One of the first misconception we do have is that, to your point, if something is wrong with me and I walk into the doctor's office, they're going to just tell me take a pill for that or take a medicine for that. And doctors are I heard one the other day that was like whoa, this was probably a millionaire doctors making money for, like pushing drugs. And I'm like who is this? Because it's not me. Are there providers out there who are getting paid by drug companies? Yeah, but those are there, the norm and the typical. More often than not, we're deal. You know that's not the reality at all, you know. So that's the first misconception. And why is that? It's a misconception? Because a lot of times what we have to do is educate, right?

Speaker 2: 36:03

So if someone comes in, what's a typical menstrual cycle? It should be between three to seven days long. So that's it three, three days long to seven days long, depending on how old you are, they should be three weeks apart from the start of one to the start of the other, even three months apart depending on how old you are. So whether you're in the younger population as you get into adulthood, that should be every three to six weeks apart, or 21 to 35 to 40 days, and that's a typical menstrual cycle.

Speaker 2: 36:32

As far as the amount of blood flow, that again is variable, but you should not be soaking through pads or tampons an hour and needing an excess of like seven in an entire day. If you're using menstrual cups or period underwear, then you have to kind of figure out like how many times you need to change those right. And you know these are the range of what we would typically see for people. If you are a person that is outside of that amount of bleeding amount of bleeding, length of bleeding or frequency of bleeding that may actually signal that there is something else going on with your body, both something organic meaning that we use the menstrual cycle as a vital sign and it can sometimes show us there's an issue with your thyroid or a bleeding disorder or some other hormonal dysfunction, or a structural issue like fibroids or something like that. So those are all. The amount of flow is all a signal and a trigger to say this is outside the typical range.

Speaker 2: 37:27

I now need to go and get assessment A part of that is it may mean medicine, but it may also mean that you actually uncover something else right and that can be treated in a different way. As far as the amount of pain, there's a big misconception that the periods are supposed to be so painful that it's normal to miss a couple of days of work or school. You know something that you know in that way, or to have such severe nausea and vomiting that it limits you. Those are not typical and if you're having yes, cramping is a typical part of the menstrual cycle and before having some nausea, having some dysentery or some constipation or mood changes, all those fluctuations come as part of the normal cycle, either with hormones or with release of like inflammatory things in the body. But if the pain or any of the other functions are enough that it starts to impact your quality of life, that is no longer what we would consider acceptable and that is something you need to similarly, go and get evaluated for to find something organic. Is it something that I can just change how I eat and you know, eat foods that are more nutritious, less inflammatory, less processed foods, and you know, act, be more active, drink more water, and my body responds well to that or am I someone that can benefit from medication that actually would make my cycles less crampy, less heavy and allow me to live a perfectly productive life. It also it's a common misconception that for the younger age group that I see that when you first get your cycle is normal for it to like go away for like six months to a year and not have it regularly. Right, that is completely false. Although it's common to not have a cycle be completely regular, whatever that means for you 28 days or 25 days, you should have one at least once every three months, you know. So if you're going to more than three months without a period in the first year, that's also a signal, but similarly to if it's too close together, that's also signals for us to, you know, be evaluated.

Speaker 2: 39:23

The act of giving someone's medicine is also something that is not. Maybe curated isn't the best word, but you think really intentionally about what you're giving, right? So sometimes there are people that I give medications for for a short time. So if you have a person that they've been bleeding for a really long time, I may just give them a 10 day course of medication to stop that bleeding. You know, trigger a typical, to trigger a cycle and then just see what their body does after that and then you get to gauge whether they need something in the long term.

Speaker 2: 39:52

Or I may hear someone with a lot of pain, family history of chronic pelvic pain or vendometriosis or something like that, and say you know what this is sounding like that as well, and for you and for your future, it's really important to try to protect your reproductive health and your reproductive future. So the act of going on the medication is something that's going to decrease that tissue and allow you to have a healthier life. The goal, as you kind of mentioned, is to protect your reproductive future. So the way, the best way to go about doing that is to get those 11 and 12 and 13 year olds, because they're not going to have these problems for the most part. They may have some of the bleeding things in the beginning.

Speaker 1: 40:31

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 40:33

But the 11 to 12, the 13 year old, 14 year olds. They're the people that's going to be the healthiest in most times and you're going to be able. So what I do with them when I get them is I say, okay, let's talk, just about this.

Speaker 1: 40:43

This is how many things.

Speaker 2: 40:44

The cycle should be this is how much pain you should have, this is how much sanitary pads or napkins or what are you using? Tampons? But there's always something new in the market, right? I have to tell people that to me. I'm like, oh, what is this? Okay, I'm never. And they teach me and I do it.

Speaker 2: 41:00

And when you learn when you're that age and I'm also teaching the older person in the room when you learn when they are that age, then, yes, when you're in your 20s or in your early teens and something comes up, then you're able to know I need to see the doctor because this is happening. And when you go to that doctor, you're then able to say this is happening to my body and you're able to use the right words and verbalize that, particularly in settings where the provider may not be listening. Because, although people who see me do have the I don't want to call it a privilege because you're supposed to be afforded this, but they do have the opportunity to spend time with me because I'm the kind of care provider I am that's not universal and sometimes a provider. Ten minutes with you, right. How do you get past someone who has 10 minutes with you? You're very.

Speaker 2: 41:44

I'm here because this is what is wrong with me. I'm here because it used to be this way, but now it's not this way. You're going to walk out of the room, not getting your questions answered if you're unable to verbalize that, because the doctor is going to go down a checklist of health. Right, they're going down that. How's this, how's that, how's that? That's good, okay, let's just do this in many instances. So having so. That's why it's so important for those 11, 12, 13 year olds. Yes, a lot of parents do think they're in there talking to my child about sex and old.

Speaker 2: 42:16

And a lot of times that's not even the case. It's truly not the case. So I see them together, but I have the parents step out and the amount of resistance that comes with that, and sometimes I'm like what's the resistance for? Tell me, why the resistance? Because I think a lot of times I think gynecologists, they think sex and, surprisingly enough, that is probably the least thing that I talk about, because many of our younger ones they're not, or even if they are, we're able to kind of navigate that in a different way, right? So what I'm doing at that time is giving them the information or giving them the resources to use to help them and their friends and their family and their caregivers, so that when something comes up, they're able to kind of come back and talk about that, right, it's such a major problem for Blacks, and I mean internationally.

Speaker 2: 43:06

It has destroyed so many lives reproductive health, fertility, potential pain, you name it. Why is it so many of us are presenting in our 30s with this and not that the signs were coming? The human body is almost. It's not good enough, it's near perfection in many cases. It tells you, it tells us yeah, and yet and still we're not. Why are we not going? So then we're limited to like the big surgeries and the hysterectomies and the lack loss of fertility potential. Why the knowledge and the agency was just not there. So we have to start. We have to start earlier.

Speaker 1: 43:45

And you know you mentioned. I want to touch briefly on sexual health innocence, because you mentioned about the use of tampons and these different period products that they have. And, again, from a cultural standpoint, I hate to keep saying that but I mean it's just a reality. So when you're on your, when you start your period from 12, 13, even 14, you know, oh, you cannot use a tampon because a tampon is going to break your virginity and these different things. So, touching that as well, I guess, from an anatomy standpoint, briefly, as you know, when it comes to inserting a tampon, because that's something that we get to within our nonprofit organization, so we've made it a mission to not necessarily give tampons out because, again, culturally, you have to read the room sometimes. Yeah, you have to read the room, yeah, you have to read the room.

Speaker 1: 44:28

So we've made it like an effort, even though we get them donated, we have to be mindful of which population we are giving the tampons out for, because that stigma surrounding tampons at an early age it's just, it's mind blowing to me again. But you know, when you're in it, at the time you think it's normal. But as you grow and you elevate or you get educated, as you just talking about. You realize that no, that's not the case. So talk to us, I guess, from an anatomy standpoint, like when it comes to the tampon. Let them know, our tampon necessarily Kind of kind of break the virginity. You tell me I don't know you're talking to me like five years old.

Speaker 1: 45:01

When it comes to all like oh, because we're trying to eliminate these cultural taboos, so let them know that. You know, when it comes to using the tampon, inserting the tampon, it's just it doesn't have like a negative effect that we often bring with that.

Speaker 2: 45:13

Yeah, yeah, boy, if there was one misconception that is major is this one. And yeah, I've listened. I completely understand. I was told the same thing growing up. So the community that was forced this a tampon does not cannot break someone's if and if you want to use that word virginity. It no longer gives them a place of being not sexually active to sexually active, because that's what the that's what we think about with virginity, right, the act of, of having sex.

Speaker 1: 45:43

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 45:44

That comes back from the thought of like. When someone has sex for the first time, they break the hymen. The hymen is open and now you're no longer a virgin. So let's look at, looking at anatomy, the hymen. What the hymen is is that it's a piece of tissue that's between the vulva and the vagina. So remember we talked about that. The vagina is that tube that connects the vulva right. So the hymen, I tell people, is like the window of the vagina. That's the best way I could think about it. It's in. Some people is fluffy and it's thick and some people is really thin.

Speaker 2: 46:17

The hymen's job is to actually open or break before you're even born. So it is so in normal cases, or in yeah, this is normal. In normal cases, before someone is born, their hymen already has an opening. If someone is born and the hymen is not opened or is not broken, then that's called an imperfect hymen and that's a surgical emergency. When the blood collects there, we need to open it later on, like not even not immediately, but after they have their puberty. So someone doesn't have the flow of menstrual blood. So there is already an opening there that is already ready for insertion of tampons or whatever other. You know whatever, or a later sexual activity.

Speaker 1: 46:56

So this should do that.

Speaker 2: 46:58

So inserting a tampon doesn't actually tear the hymen in any particular way. That makes you sexually active. Now, can someone have some sort of small trauma or some kind of someone have difficulty in placing a tampon if the hymenal tissue is is like, larger than others? And absolutely I don't have a lot of young people who come to me because they have difficulty placing a tampon because the opening is too small in order to do that. But again, that is not an act of having sex. I don't know why Certain cultures, and our culture in particular, feel so strongly that the act that tampon equates you with sexual activity. Also because I have a lot of young people who are sexually active but still refuse to wear tampon. So, yeah, I've seen that just like. So, okay, parents use a tampon because it's sex, but you're having sex and they don't know about this. That so it does not actually. Yeah, so some parents throw because then they think they can have sex. It actually is not at all correlated what it is correlated with.

Speaker 2: 48:00

It's children being able to swim and do multiple activities while they're on their menstrual cycle, and it gives them that freedom to do so. For someone who, that's acceptable. Now, if I have a young person that they are an athlete or they or they do bleed a little heavier. They had a couple of accidents in school. Yeah, tampon is actually very helpful because it allows them to have a sense of security and safety and they can double up with a With a pad under to make sure they're not overflowing or make sure they're not having an accident you want to call it that word or some sort of event that could be deemed embarrassing in in school or in their social life. They are able to engage in more, in more activities. That way, yeah, we'll be able to make sure they're doing it in a safe way and in the right way.

Speaker 2: 48:42

So, no, it does not tear the hymen, it doesn't break the hymen, it does not. It does not make them lose their virginity, because the only thing that allows someone to lose their virginity if we're using that word, I am also kind of against that word as well oh, so what? What? What word should we be using? Tell me, active. Are we actually active? You know that's, because that's what it is, but you know that's the word that a lot of us use anyway virginity. So I, you know we is yeah, I get it what yeah, it does not.

Speaker 2: 49:09

The only thing that breaks someone's virginity or has them lose their virginity is the act of sexual intercourse, specifically Penetrated vaginal intercourse. In that way, someone can be sexually active orally, anal, the other ways. I have a lot of young people, yeah, active in those ways, but they still consider themselves for virgin. Why? Because they've never had penetrative Intercourse you know, so they're.

Speaker 2: 49:32

so I'm still a virgin because I've never had vaginal sex, but anal sex and oral sex has been happening for years, and with that comes risks as well, so yeah, and I saw some listening to you talk.

Speaker 1: 49:44

I want to talk as we get ready to wrap up, because I know you're busy and have to go, but as it really I'm back, I'm already thinking what I'm gonna bring you back for, but from sexual health again, because you know we're talking about that health literacy and these different things. As, again, as we get ready to go, how can we approach, like, what is it that we can do? I want to ask you two questions, but I asked this one for what is it that we can do? Again, because I'm seeing we're talking about virginity or standard words, sexual or sexually active. Again, it's just, it's so taboo Individuals are having sex at an early age. We cannot. We I'm not a parent yet, but you know, as a parent or even someone who's working in our field we kind of prevent someone from Not having sex, right, I don't care what you try to do, you cannot. Let me know They'll find a way there. There'll be a way for you to engage in sexual activities. But how can we approach the topic?

Speaker 1: 50:33

Because I think I remember for me when I was in high school I forgot and I can't remember the name of the organization, but we, we had different classes from time to time where we were going to put on a condom boat made in female. We're learning about these different things. I don't even think it's still happening in the schools now, which is probably what's missing in our society at this point. Yeah, but we we learned that during that time. I think that's even one of the reasons why I'm knowing this in this field, without even realizing.

Speaker 1: 50:57

But how can we create or provide the education surrounding sexual health or sexual activity without it being so taboo because 15, 16, you're gonna have set Okay, I can't stop it if you're gonna have sex? As a parent, I may not want you to be having sex this early, but the chances are you're going to outside of, because I've known, I've seen parents put their child or children on break control because you know I'm gonna get pregnant. Yeah, that's not the only thing. So that, how can we approach the conversation as to maybe I guess I'll say you can correct me why it's okay if you're gonna have sexual intercourse, you're gonna be sexually active?

Speaker 1: 51:34

How can you be safe, like just talk about safe practices and what are some things that I should know as a 15, 16, even 25 year or whatever I should know when it comes to sex. I want you to just answer that question so we can. You know, I guess the stigmatize it because it's gonna happen. So if we know it's gonna happen, let's educate, let's talk about safe practices, let's talk about all these different things that we can ensure that Both parties or parties involved know what they're doing. You know?

Speaker 2: 52:00

yeah, no, absolutely De-stigmatizing sex again. And a lot of this stuff stems again from these historical myths and misconceptions that we've just brought with us through generations, when there was a safety issue 300 years ago now we're in a different place we were still using some of the same things, so you know. First let me say if anyone is in a position where they feel strongly that they are not Wanting to have sex either until marriage, until they feel so, that is fine and that's great. Yeah, good, that is your choice. It's not right or wrong. It's right for you as an individual. If anyone is still in coercion to having sexual activity, meaning that you really don't want to, but you're with someone who is like Encouraging you to do it and you know you say, okay, I might as well. That's called sexual coercion and that is wrong as well. Right, but barring those situations, it is healthy. It's a part of normal growth and development to explore particularly adolescents in young adulthood, and having sex is a part of that. You know we have.

Speaker 2: 53:00

We actually have a talk coming up in our national conference, the north I didn't say this the north american society for pediatrics and gynecology, naspa, talking to care providers about whose responsibility is it to talk about sex and sexuality? And this person is she's from Jamaica. Actually. You know, I have to make a very, very Caribbean. Yes, of course, of course. But you know, and she's going to be speaking to care providers because we still don't always know how who's responsible he is. And then how do you do that? And when I have a lot of people come to me with parents saying can you talk to her and tell her don't have sex, my first step is to say take a step back and ask that person Well, why, well, why? And number two, what have you all spoke about? Right, right, because if we're not talking to our children about sex and what we're doing is throwing them a book or giving them birth control or saying Don't do it, we're setting them up for failure. We're setting them up for a higher risk of having sexually transmitted infections, a higher rate of sexual coercion, a higher rate of unintended pregnancies, because we're not giving them the information and what that doesn't come to agency, right? So the way I always breach it is you kind of mention about good touch, bad touch before. So when you have your younger children, you're speaking to them about the safety of the body, what is private to them, what is good, what is not good.

Speaker 2: 54:21

As children start to go through puberty and get older, the conversation has to shift. Naturally, 10, 11, 12 year olds are going to start becoming curious. They're going to see things Social media, tv, everything. You see a little. Can we see a little breast, a little penis, a little vagina. Things pop out. You have to speak to your children about that. The children should know what sex is by the time they're 11 or 12. They should know what sex is and what is the outcome of sex. What are some good things that can come of it? What is some Downsides that can come of it.

Speaker 2: 54:51

Right as they get more you know emotionally and physically mature, particularly as you're going into the high school, that's when you really it's time to kind of sit with your child and have that heart to heart. So you should be building that relationship already where this person feels comfortable coming to you or you all have already had these Conversations. It's going to be very hard to look at a 16 year old that you've just been avoiding the topic or not talking and then expecting them to be honest with you Because they're going to be worried, that you're going to be mad at them for having sex or expecting them to be open about that or wanting to have that discussion. So, but even if you hadn't had that discussion, because you were just uncomfortable and then you heard this podcast, now you're like, oh, I have some catching up to do. Yes, it's okay to go to them in a time of like relaxation, right? This is not when you're having an argument and are you having sex the time you know they're they're gonna. So how school? Is there someone that like that you like, or like you or you may Right, know they have a little significant other that you know.

Speaker 2: 55:51

This is a time to ask them. So, have you guys talked about being intimate? Okay, well, you know, it's okay. Like you know, I just want to make sure that I can support you like. So what kind of intimacy? And have you thought about Having sex? And if? And if the answer is yes, you can be honest and say, even if I may not like it, I love you and I care about you too much to not give you the information. So, if you are, let's just make sure you have what's necessary, right?

Speaker 2: 56:15

The birth control options, condoms for infection prevention, minimizing the amount of partners they have and the managers knowing your partner, knowing who is this partner with getting tested for infections routinely Parents or caregivers, loved ones, leaders they have to be able to be honest with themselves and let them know that these young people Are going to make these decisions anyway.

Speaker 2: 56:42

We have to arm them with the right information and, to be honest, in my, from what I've seen, is the young people who actually have more knowledge about sexual activity the ones who say, oh yeah, my mom or my dad or whoever's, they're not having as much sex as they think they are Actually did a study. I did a study about this when I was in fellowship and the amount of times you would ask the the young person if they're sexually active and actually parents of the parents think they're sexually active, the parents were thinking the children are having way more sex than they are, but that didn't mean that they were actually like talking to them about it you know, so I find if you start to educate your child or the young person, regardless of what their age is, and having those conversations, you're able to actually lead to some.

Speaker 2: 57:25

You know they're actually to able, they're engaging in sexual activity at an age-appropriate time and when they have the information you know in europe and I don't again don't tag me and put me on something later she said the europeans are better. I did not say that In some european countries parents are so open and engaged with their sexual activity and they have much lower sex unintended pregnancy rates than in the united states. Right? These parents are not villainizing it. Some of my european parents, when they come they're like this hurts her and she must be able to have sex if she wants to. So I just want to make sure that she's fine, because she told me was uncomfortable.

Speaker 2: 58:06

They have demystified and taken away from taboo and the person may or may not be interested in having sex. It's, it's not. It's no longer something I could sneak into corner and do and I'm grow. It's like Okay, yeah, when I'm ready I'll do that, but it's no longer like a Point of like autonomy. You know, yeah, yeah, if I for their autonomy and if you're not gonna give it to me, I'm gonna take it, you know. So Hopefully that answers the question.

Speaker 1: 58:31

And, as we wrap up, I do want to ask, because I know you do a lot of work in the community, but what are some ways that we can or some actions that we can do or take to ensure that we are promoting Health literacy, body literacy in our communities? You know, sometimes a person may be thinking, oh, you know, I mean I had the particular amount of followers, like I know, for me, at one point I was like, oh, you know, I had to be a millionaire to start my nonprofit. You know, I'm not there yet. Maybe one day I'll get to that. You know, it's a dream, but I thought I had to.

Speaker 1: 59:00

And then realizing, you know, I used some of my experiences and one of the reasons why I even Started scrub life it was when I did my study body in Uganda and just realizing that Similar culture from being in the Caribbean and Africa, to be quite honest, but also the lack of education. I tell people all the time I can go and donate Cases of pads and tampons, whatever, to an organization, to a school. That's easy. I mean I'm not saying it's easy Because I mean, no, it's not, it's challenging, but to me that's the easier part.

Speaker 1: 59:28

Yeah, but what we lack is the education. And I had someone ask me one time oh, what can you educate about sex, what can you educate about peers? And I'm like, oh, I said there's a lot. I said we can be here for an eternity. Yeah, the amount of education that we can, we can provide is not just all your period period, heavy periods, no, again, reproductive health, that's it. That's just one part or one phase. You know what I mean. So how can individuals in our community, I guess, work towards maybe start an initiative or whatever it is, so that we can ensure that we are Promoting our health literacy for our younger generation? Because, you know, some of us are old enough, but again, I can mention earlier, it starts from 12, 13. Once they're aware From a younger age, it sets them up pretty much better future when it comes to their reproductive health and even the overall health, because, again, everything goes hand in hand at the end of the day.

Speaker 1: 1:00:17

And then, what are some? What are some things we can do, as, when it comes addressing Important topics because, again, we're doing all part we're just two people and, of course, they are the people as well, but, again, what can we do to ensure that we continue this conversation?

Speaker 2: 1:00:31

I actually want to do more myself in my free time. All the free time in the world I have, I'm gonna. That's something I want to do more. But we just have to use what we have because we established. Like it's hard when you start thinking about why is this and that. Just use the resources you have and what do we have? We have our loved ones, we have our families and we have our minds. So what can everyone do? Even have to listen to that a educate yourself so from credible resources and then talk to your parents, talk to your Cousins, your aunts, your uncles.

Speaker 2: 1:01:01

If you are a person that is religious and you go to Organized religion church or mosque or something in some way, that is a nice opportunity to actually bring in a health provider, or it may have a nurse or a doctor in your congregation. Yeah, seminars, you know that, where you can say, okay, this Saturday or Sunday we're actually gonna have a health fair and we're just gonna talk about what is normal blood pressures, what's typical blood pressures or what's what should, what is diabetes and how you get it. The schools that's another way you know you can find out. Does your children school have health class? And if they have health class today. Speak. What do they talk about in health class? Right, are they talking?

Speaker 2: 1:01:39

about all health. Are they talking about culturally appropriate health things that we tend to be disproportionately Affected with? And if they're not, you can actually ask them to. You know, encourage the curriculum to be a little bit more inclusive of things that we actually face right. These are things that does not take any money for the most part and doesn't take a lot of effort. We already have PTA meetings for the most part and is you can do everything. You can ask and you can request and the schools can do it and Did as you said.

Speaker 2: 1:02:11

A lot of schools have moved away from doing a lot of health class and are speaking to some of these Things that they think is more taboo. So, even if they can't put it in the curriculum, maybe they can have a little after-school initiative where they do that, like once every XYZ. Yeah, same for the jobs. You know you're working at a job you can encourage a job to have like health pamphlets and every couple of months they talk about another disease process or another preventative process, right, and it could be simple as like what is the recommended screenings for your age? I'm a 45, not me, I'm a 45. Yet guys, let's say I'm a 45 year and no shade.

Speaker 2: 1:02:50

I love this in the 40s.

Speaker 1: 1:02:52

You're not there yet we get it.

Speaker 2: 1:02:53

You're not there yet I'm coming not that far from now. But what is a typical screening for a 45 year old Person? Right, man and woman, based on my risk factors? And then one thing could even be like what is my family history? You know, that is all you can take that stuff. So those are just little things that we can do in our community to make Health literacy a little bit more tangible. But I would say it all starts from seeking the information For yourself first. Right, what's that thing? Give the man a fish, you'll feed him for today, but give him a rod, you feed him forever. Again, I'm not where that came from.

Speaker 1: 1:03:30

Yeah, I've heard it before we got. It's been, it's been. I'm on journal lives, it's true. You know I'll find that.

Speaker 2: 1:03:42

You know. But that's you, that's what I think, and I just want to leave with saying this I would be remiss if I don't tell every time I speak I have to say this speak up, come to your providers with a list of questions Because, like I said, we all struggle. You get into that room and you have no idea what you were supposed to say and the emotions you were supposed to admit. So just write them down. Don't come with 20 questions now, because you know again Climbing, you may have to schedule, you may have your top three. Then you may have to schedule a whole other visit just to discuss something in particular. And that's okay. There's a lot of virtual visit options and all those things. You can do that. But come, prepare to the visit, come with your questions, come with questions for the provider, just as you said. What is my blood pressure? Oh, you're okay, you're human, global.

Speaker 2: 1:04:29

Anyone sees this. Well, what should it be? I get it there instead of is, instead of this meds, is there something else that I can do? And if I do that, can you help me? Sometimes the doctors are the people to help you. Sometimes they have three for you.

Speaker 2: 1:04:43

To a nutritionist yeah, there's a physical therapist for that hip pain and or or toe, or ask you how many times are you moving your body in a week? Your body, no, okay. Well, here you go. So just you know, speak up, advocate for yourself and if you come across a provider that you don't think is listening to you, doesn't hear you, always not addressing your questions, then seek care from someone else. No, I agree, you know, I I always want my people to know that, because it's so important. There's a lot of people who are still with the same providers and they are not happy and they're scared to go back and they're not taking their meds because that doctor didn't explain, so I'm not gonna take my medication. And now they're just there, the only ones that suffering is them and their loved ones.

Speaker 1: 1:05:28

Yeah, no, that is true, that is true. Well, on that note, I want to say thank you. What better way to end an episode? Thank you, thank you. Thank you for taking time out of your extremely, extremely busy schedule To sit and talk with me and my tea tasters, as I call. It was very informative. I love talking to you. I'm already thinking about, okay, what else can I have a back on here to talk about, because you know it's just an important conversation to have.

Speaker 1: 1:05:52

Again, like I said, we're not talking about it enough. Well, we're just touching the base of certain things, just enough to not cause any boundaries, and we can't continue as a society or the community to keep just towing the line, not necessarily crossing that line when it when it needs to something. We got to cross line something. We got to dial it back, yeah, but they are something and help being healthy. There is one of those things that we got to cross the line because we got to be our best selves. I told myself my goal for 2024 is to Be my healthy, as healthy as I possibly can be. Even I'm taking necessary steps. Again, like you mentioned earlier, you know, good is better than perfect. Sometimes we may not we're overachievers, but if it's good enough, at least you're doing your best. It's good enough, and that's just one thing that we have to Take away with us.

Speaker 1: 1:06:37

But before we go, you know, tell the people what they can find you and you have a lot going on. You know the biggest kind of media, but let them know what they can find you, what you have coming up. Yeah, I know it's so funny, so I am only now getting into the social media thing.

Speaker 2: 1:06:50

I don't like. I don't. Maybe I'm camera, so I don't know, but no, I get, I'm the same way too, so no judgment here.

Speaker 2: 1:06:58

Find me on just Instagram. For now I'm not on tiktok or any other other things yet, but I probably will be soon, dr Trotman. So DR t r o t m? A? N, that's on Instagram and that's where you can find me. You know, eventually I do want to expand my health literacy platform, so I'm sure I'll have websites and opportunities for like learning and community engagement. That's what I'm gonna make sure she does it, guys.

Speaker 1: 1:07:24

You know one thing about me, so she thinks it's just like. Oh, I'm talking to Tanya right now, mom, she don't know.

Speaker 2: 1:07:30

She's in my driftwood because, no, you are, because, exactly because it this, you and I connected on social media at the time when I kept saying I need to get my health literacy work off there. And then you had this thing and I'm like this is exactly what I want to do. But, yeah, that I'm like, yeah, so I'm an antique. And then I see your thing and it's just, it was just so perfect, so perfect, and you have me blessed it. Oh, so you said I'm like a mentor, but you, honestly, I look at you and, oh, I'm like, look at how amazing. So you don't have to have the md behind your name. Yeah, impact populations, you know, and what you're doing is so very important. So I want to continue to encourage you in that and I definitely want to come to do it with you one year. Yes, yeah, I said that and I mean it, and I want to do it throughout the Caribbean as a whole because there is such a need. So you know more to come on that right.

Speaker 1: 1:08:26

Thank you. Thank you so much. You know that's that just bother me to everything, because you know, sometimes in life you have doubts. So thank you for saying those kind words. I really do appreciate it.

Speaker 2: 1:08:34

Yeah, absolutely Well, thanks for having me. Yes, thanks, thanks for coming.

Speaker 1: 1:08:39

I hope to see you by here in the tea tasting room Some other time really soon, I will be there. Thank you for joining me for another episode of tea with Tanya. If you like this episode, be sure to share it with a friend. Don't forget to follow on instagram at tea with tanya podcast. Be sure to subscribe to the weekly teetalk newsletter and, of course, rate on apple or Spotify and subscribe wherever you listen. See you next time. I love you for listening.