Take Charge of Your Health Care

by Arlene Allen, Director of National Women's Department

Have you noticed that when you visit a doctor's office, you are expected to be knowledgeable about your complaint? Today, you almost have to do the research, share with your physician your diagnosis and then he will validate or refute your findings. Past generations have allowed physicians to determine treatments, but today many people are taking more responsibility for researching health care options. 

Recently while waiting in line to pay for my groceries, I had time to read two short articles in different magazines concerning women's health issues. As busy women living complex lives, we can become overwhelmed by the amount of health information and misinformation flooding the media, bookstores and the Internet. 

As Christians, we find it difficult to sort out the good from the bad in this God-created, yet fallen, world in which we live. Society's pressure on women to look a certain way can lead to a sense of failure and even depression. Fashion models weigh 23 percent less than the average female, yet many women and teenage girls go to dangerous lengths to achieve such an image. 

We live in a day when we must take more and more responsibility for our own health decisions. Understanding how your body works can help you obtain the kind of health care that will benefit you most, and being aware of options could help you save money, especially when it comes to prescription medicines. 

Many Web sites are available to help you do research. As with anything you would read or look up on the Internet, make sure it lines up with biblical teaching. 

May God help you become more comfortable with the body He has given you. And may your interaction with your physicians and hospital be more comfortable and less stressful as you discover you can take control of your own health care.