First Women’s Wellness Clinic service in private practice at Mediclinic Panorama

Posted on 2 February 2023

Mediclinic Panorama is the first private hospital in Cape Town to offer a comprehensive wellness clinic to women.

The European Thinking About Needs in Contraception (TANCO) study was conducted across 11 countries and the results were published in the European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care. The study found that despite high levels of use, unmet needs for contraceptive counselling remain a problem. The findings of the study also indicated that 60% of women reported interest in receiving more regular or extensive information.

The Fleur Women’s wellness clinic was started by Julie Storm, a professional nurse passionate about women’s wellness. Services are available to all patients who want to prioritise their health through affordable care.

Due to the current burden on our Public Health Care system due to various contributing factors, many women do not receive proper counselling prior to starting on contraception. Very few are given a choice, where the decision is sometimes made for them by the Healthcare Practitioner.

It is important for Healthcare Practitioners to guide their patients to identify the most appropriate method for them, allowing them to make informed decisions once empowered with all the options available and given the opportunity to choose.

“Counselling should be our first step to finding the best possible contraceptive fit for every woman. Exploring their understanding of fertility, spacing of children and STI Prevention. Teaching them to become familiar with their own bodies (when to do a breast examination for example) should always be part of the counselling process. Once women are familiar with their own needs and bodies, they will be able to identify when something is abnormal” says Julie.

Women are constantly bombarded with information that is not always true or scientific.

“Greater exploration of women`s needs and expectations of contraception could lead to expansion of knowledge, more effective discussions, and greater likelihood of informed contraceptive choice for women. This will translate into higher satisfaction and continuation rates and, ultimately, may contribute to a decrease in the rate of unintended pregnancies” says Julie.

Julie believes that when women are part of the decision making, they are much more likely to be committed to the choice they make. Women that are well informed about all the options available could identify what option is best for them.

 

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