“Say: Travel through the Earth and deeply observe how God did originate the creation; then God produces the next creation; surely God has power over all things” (Qur’an 29:19-20)
Welcome and May the peace and blessings of God be upon you.
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"Many women do not know why they have periods or assume that it is only to have babies. There are so many questions about how women dealt with painful periods in the past and what they did to treat these conditions that we now know much more about."
Dr. TAYYABA AHMED
The word hysteria is derived from the Greek word for uterus. Women were considered in a state of hysteria for many reasons, including epilepsy and depression, and were treated as if the uterus were “sad” (1). Women’s health has evolved significantly since the 5th century BC. However, we still have heated debates on certain aspects of a women’s body, like birth control and abortions, and there are still stigmas when discussing reproductive health and sexual dysfunction. Ironically, these issues affect men as well, but are classically “women’s issues.”
“We ignore public understanding of science at our peril”
Dr. Tayyaba Ahmed is a physiatrist, which means she specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Her primary focus is pelvic rehabilitation: diagnosing and treating pelvic floor dysfunction. The keyword there is diagnosing. Pelvic pain can be a complicated condition to treat as symptoms are not always consistent and the physician has to rely a lot on the history of present illness, meaning what the patient is willing to offer. Because of the physical nature of the problem, there can be stigmas with discussing chronic pain in the pelvis and/or groin area, pain with sexual intercourse, endometriosis, sexually-transmitted infections, infertility.
Dr. Ahmed notes how many physicians still don’t understand the pathology associated with pelvic floor muscles and how it can dramatically alter a person’s life, both for female and male patients. “I started the practice to treat women, but men started showing up,” she notes. About 40% of her patients are males. Her clinic has become a safe space where people can be honest about their entire medical history; for example, married men bringing in their girlfriends, women discussing their premarital sexual encounters. Having this level of understanding of a patient’s complex medical condition is extremely important in order to give the best, personalized care to not only treat, but heal, the person. One of Dr. Ahmed’s goals is to reach out to more Muslim patients as they face the same challenges and societal issues as anyone else, but may not get the same care given stigma associated with reproductive health in general. Many of her patients have been misdiagnosed and living with pain that they don’t understand and can’t control, that it has led some to consider suicide. “I had a male patient who said that if I hadn’t prescribed him gabapentin, he would have killed himself. He’s only had this pelvic pain for 2 months.” Some of her female patients with chronic pain and infertility are dealing with endometriosis. After listening to one patient’s full story, they realized she had endometriosis and once she was treated, the patient was able to get pregnant. “This is my charity. I’m blessed to not have this pain. I’m evaluating a set of muscles that no one can physically see. When a patient feels better after 10 doctors didn’t know the problem, that’s why we’re in medicine.”
Source: Learn Muscles
“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”
– Albert Einstein
Whereas many countries, Muslim-majority or not, have laws that oppress women’s rights, this is not how early Islam treated its women and those it encountered during conquest. “Treat women with kindness, treat women with kindness! Have fear of God in relation to them and make sure you want well for them.” (Prophet Muhammad, PBUH). This was said during the last sermon by the “Prophet of Mercy,” who was known for his unique character, especially with his wives: “Among the Muslims the most perfect, as regard his faith, is the one whose character is excellent, and the best among you are those who treat their wives well.” (Al-Tirmidi).” Aisha would note how the Prophet (PBUH) would answer intimate questions women in the community had about menstruation and health matters (2). Whatever sect you belong to, the core of the religion is connecting with God and understanding his signs:
“Thus doth He explain His signs in detail, for those who understand”
-Qur’an 10:5
Humans were made as humans, and not angels or jinns, for a reason. Who knows if we’ll ever truly understand that reason why we’re here, but part of the journey is getting closer to God, while being human. Nothing more, nothing less. Being human is spiritual, but it’s also physical. There is nothing inherently shameful in the properties that make us physically human, such as the need to eat, sleep, engage in sexual intercourse, or the ability to experience pain and sorrow. It makes you wonder why we shame the very things that make us….us?
Source: ICORN - Mazin Shugaa/Yemen (“It is of my right to learn”)
“Read in the name of your Lord, who created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by then pen.” (Qur’an 96:1-4).
“For a research worker the unforgotten moments of his life are those rare ones which come after years of plodding work, when the veil over nature’s secret seem suddenly to flit and when what was dark and chaotic appears in a clear and beautiful light and pattern” (Gerty Cori)
For more information:
International Institute of Islamic Medicine: http://www.iiim.org/
1001 Inventions: the Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization: http://www.1001inventions.com
