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Someone told me that because of Sincerely, Your Gynecologist, she has decided to have her son get the human papillomavirus (HPV). Before reading the book, she did not think her son needed the HPV vaccine because he was not sexually active. After reading the book, she learned the best time to get the vaccine is before you are sexually active. She also learned that the vaccine prevents cancer caused by HPV, like oral, anal, or penile cancer. She thanked me for writing Sincerely, Your Gynecologist.

Health literacy is finding, understanding, and using health information or services to improve health. By reading the book, she was able to find information about the HPV vaccine, understand the importance of the vaccine, and decide to have her son get the vaccine.  

April is National Minority Health Month, and this year’s theme is Better Health Through Better Understanding. By increasing health literacy, one can be empowered to create healthier outcomes. It is estimated that only 14 percent of the U.S. population have proficient health literacy, and nearly 20 percent of people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home. Communication with your health provider is essential to getting good health care.

So what do you need to do?

1. Be prepared when you interact with your healthcare provider – Why are you coming to the visit? What are your symptoms? How long have you had your symptoms? What makes it better, and what makes it worse?
2. Know the first day of your last menstrual period.
3. Bring a list of all medications, herbs, and any over-the-counter medication you are taking.
4. Consider bringing a trusted friend or family member if it is challenging to understand what your provider tells you. If you do not have anyone, you can ask for the conversation to be recorded.
5. Sign up with the patient portal so you can have access to your chart. You can now read the information to ensure the provider fully understands what you said.
6. Find out when to expect your results.
7. Schedule your next appointment when leaving the office, even if the next appointment is in one year.
8. Never be embarrassed to ask questions. Clearly understanding your diagnosis and what you need to do. You can ask for a different way to explain the information. You can ask for an interpreter if you prefer to get information other than English.
9. Set goals of what is expected. For example, what is the blood pressure goal if you are given medication for high blood pressure?
10. You can always ask your provider to provide additional information.

As a health care provider, Better Health Through Better Understanding is a reminder that I should make sure that I do everything to make sure that I am providing information that is understandable so health care decisions can be made. I am grateful that Sincerely, Your Gynecologist is a resource for those seeking information on women’s health.