Lifestyle Medicine for Women: The Time Is Now!

As the founders of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s Women’s Health Member Interest Group, we welcome this issue focused on the important issues facing women, their providers, and researchers in this field. Women’s health extends beyond sex-specific reproductive health issues, by also encompassing the medical conditions that are more prevalent in women as well as conditions that are expressed differently in women. Inadequate representation of women in clinical research has contributed to poorer outcomes. As lifestyle medicine forms the foundation of true health, the time is now to recognize and address these issues with research, education, and advocacy.

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A practical clinical guide to counselling on and managing contraception, pre-conception planning, and menopause for women living with HIV

Official Journal of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada ◽

10.3138/jammi-2021-0014 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anna Cvetkovic ◽

Elizabeth King ◽

Lashanda Skerritt ◽

Mona Loutfy ◽

Alice Tseng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Reproductive Health ◽

Women’S Health ◽

Women's Health ◽

Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽

Hiv Care ◽

Health Issues ◽

Hiv Care Cascade ◽

Women Living With Hiv ◽

Living With Hiv

Background: Women represent one quarter of the population living with HIV in Canada and are an increasingly important sector of the HIV community. While some women’s health issues such as cervical cancer screening and management are well addressed in HIV management guidelines, others are not. These include sexual and reproductive health factors such as contraception, pre-conception planning, and menopause. Existing literature has shown that while women living with HIV in Canada receive good HIV care based on HIV care cascade indicators, their women’s health and sexual and reproductive health care needs are not being met. Methods: In this article, we present a clinical guide for clinicians providing care for women living with HIV on three key women’s health topics that are under-discussed during HIV care visits: (1) contraception, (2) pre-conception planning, and (3) menopause. Results: We have summarized the most pertinent clinical factors on each topic to support straightforward counselling and present important considerations in the context of HIV-related diseases and treatment. Finally, when relevant, we have provided practical stepwise approaches for addressing each of these women’s health care topics when seeing a patient during a visit. Conclusions: It is important that HIV specialists stay well-versed in the complex clinical interactions between HIV treatment and management of women’s health issues.

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