By: Ashley Vanover
Most of the time when someone hears that they have a skeletal issue, they don't think about how that might relate to reproductive health. But, after being diagnosed with scoliosis at age ten, I began to realize how closely linked reproductive health is to orthopedics, or the musculo-skeletal system.
The summer before my sixth grade year, I was diagnosed with scoliosis at my back to school check up. I had never even heard of scoliosis and had no idea what was happening. The diagnosis was extremely overwhelming and scary. Scoliosis is when the spine grows curved to one side. Around 3 million people are diagnosed with scoliosis each year. Most people who have scoliosis are diagnosed at the beginning of puberty when they have big growth spurts. When hearing that you have scoliosis, you wouldn't immediately think it would be linked to your reproductive health. However, when you are ten years old and have yet to start your period it can have a lot to do with it.
For people who menstruate, starting your menstrual cycle means your growth plates are beginning to close. This means that the progression of spinal curvature also slows down. So, while most girls my age were dreading starting their period, I was ready for mine to start so I didn't have to worry about my scoliosis progressing further. After two long years of physical therapy and bracing, I started my period and my growth plates began to close. Instead of being sad that I wouldn't grow any more, I was relieved that my scoliosis wouldn't get worse.
Scoliosis can also cause periods to be more painful. Because my hips and back are already hurting a lot of the time, cramps and period pain only add to that. Lots of people with scoliosis also experience irregular periods on top of all the other issues.
Scoliosis can also impact pregnancy and childbearing.. With scoliosis comes unaligned hips. This can cause issues with childbirth or the ability to carry children at all. This was an incredibly scary thing to discuss as a preteen. But most people did not understand all this, they only saw it as an orthopedic problem. It really impacted the way that I felt about having children. I worried about what might happen if I tried to. I worried about complications with birth and how physically and emotionally painful that would be.
Many might not think that orthopedics and reproductive health are so closely related, but they truly affect each other a great deal. I hope my story helps others understand how much reproductive health is connected to a person’s overall health and well-being.