The Current State of Women’s Health in the U.S
The health of women in America is a multifaceted phenomenon mainly because of the interdependent relationship between the biological, psychological, physiological, emotional, and sexual domains. According to Alexander et al. (2020), females encounter dynamic challenges that highly affect the quality of living. The researchers further argue that in the 1800s, there were remarkably higher maternal death rates recorded at twenty-five per one thousand individuals within the American population. It is an indication that a pregnant female had a 2%-8% survival ability during child delivery (Alexander et al., 2020). The improvement in the quality of medical care among women during birth reduced the risk of complications and death. As a result, the current state of women’s health features effective and proactive measures on preventing difficulties during therapeutic procedures.
The ideal solution to women’s health engulfs the incorporation of treatment and prevention strategies to enhance medical care. Currently, the maternity marks at 28.5 per one hundred thousand people in the US, a rate that is half of the recorded percentage in the 1800s. The main reason for the increase in the quality of healthcare among women regards the invention of family planning and advanced personal care (Alexander et al., 2020). Apart from using family planning, technology fostered dynamic approaches in giving birth, thus reducing the risk of infections among the ladies.
The Social Determinants of Health Relating to Access to Women’s Healthcare
The social determinants of health regarding women’s access to healthcare highly affect America’s quality of living. In research by Prather et al. (2018), the health index among African American women records lower mainly because of racism. The researchers further establish that it is harder for a Black woman to access medical services in America than a White counterpart due to the social identity and status. On the one hand, the government focuses on promoting equity in the distribution of healthcare services. On the other hand, the females of African American descent get denied the basic necessity under the spectrum of ethnic superiority and inferiority. Apart from the racial identity, other factors contributing to social determinants encompass unemployment, housing, income, area deprivation, geographical location, education, and poverty (Prather et al., 2018). The researchers further argue that the dynamic population demography significantly contributes to women’s accessibility to medical services in America. As a result, the prominence in health inequities negatively affects the standards of living among a significant percentage of American women.
Impact of Social Determinants on Women’s Health Outcomes
The social determinants in health significantly contribute to the disparity in women’s health outcomes under the spectrum of adaptive practices. Singh et al. (2017) postulate that despite life expectancy among Americans ranging higher globally, there is a profound difference based on the demographic traits. Further, the researchers establish that the differing level of results impact females and the quality of living. There was an increase in life expectancy from 69 to 78 years (Singh et al., 2017). Nevertheless, the Asians recorded an average of 87.7 years while the African Americans hit the baseline mark of 75.7 years (Singh et al., 2017). The results indicate a profound disparity caused by social determinants such as race. It is important to develop healthcare policies that promote the equal distribution of medical care services across the territories of the US.
Review of National Guidelines and Initiatives
National Clinical Guidelines Addressing Women’s Healthcare
It is the primary goal for the American government to align its objectives along the gradient of protecting human life and promoting a higher quality of living. According to Park and Zarate (2019), the best treatment mechanism encompasses the use of behavioral counselling and the exploitation of appropriate preventive measures. In this case, the researchers argue on the baseline of national clinical guidelines that establish the importance of life over other elements such as property and social determinants. One of the National Clinical guidelines is the utilization of preventive measures. Singh et al. (2017) consider implementing the policies as a multi-sectoral approach to elevate medical care services in America. An excellent example is the Well Woman Visit (WWV), a program for US women to freely access healthcare services such as screening and counselling from government medical institutions to prevent developing certain healthcare issues. A major factor affecting females includes cancer as a terminal illness. Although an individual gets diagnosed and successfully treated in certain cancer cases, it is important for the continuity in attendance of the sessions for frequent check-ups.
A different national clinical guideline that contributes to the health of American women is behavioral counselling interventions. Xu et al. (2020) stipulate that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the female population in America mainly because of the risk of exposure and vulnerabilities. According to the researchers, the pandemic caused the closure of the economy and the imposition of policies that regulate social interactions (Xu et al., 2020). As a result, it becomes harder for women to access the utility from the healthcare facility. The prevention mechanism plays a vital role in boosting the quality of healthcare services delivered among the feminine gender population.
Impact of Affordable Care Act (2010) on Women’s Health
The Affordable Care Act (2010) is a regulatory policy that significantly improved women’s health in a primary care setting. One of the concepts that rendered the paradigm shift in the healthcare service provision encompasses the introduction of insurance cover. The amendment of the health insurance cover refined the accessibility and affordability of treatment and prevention among women. Another impact posed by the rule enshrined eradicating discriminatory exercises for individuals with pre-existing conditions (Alexander et al., 2020). The framework established the standard pricing and distribution of premiums from insurers towards the Americans. In this case, the government eradicated the discriminatory pricing of insurance covers based on health, gender, or race. Primarily, the Act fostered a profound positive effect in enhancing the affordability of the services for the American society.
Impact of Healthy People 2020 Focus on Women’s and Girl’s Health
The organization plays a crucial role in promoting women’s health mainly because of the essence to establish ideal goals and objectives to boost welfare. The mission of the members of the institution encompasses the development of initiatives that promote the health of the individuals. Examples of initiatives enshrine the implementation of policies and guidelines for the prevention of cancer, HIV and AIDS, and infant mortality rates (Alexander et al., 2020). However, the two main issues that deserve more attention include injury violence prevention, nutrition and weight status. It is crucial to ensure that women acquire advanced knowledge and skills to solve domestic conflicts while developing meal plans with a balanced diet to improve the health levels among Americans.
Role of the APN in Women’s Healthcare in Primary Care Settings
Role of AG-NP/FNP in Women’s Healthcare
The FNP plays a crucial role in promoting a healthy lifestyle among American females mainly because of gearing the development of effective treatment plans. Therefore, the main objective for the AG-NP encompasses assessing the core issues affecting women and developing an action plan as the solution baseline. An excellent example is the development of an initiative for a female diagnosed with breast cancer. In this case, the physician focuses on the integral values for an effective recovery, such as behavioral counselling interventions, screening, and post-therapy techniques (Alexander et al., 2020). Fundamentally, the medical practitioner establishes the trajectory patient treatment curve and the preventive mechanism, thus implementing the policies within the National Clinic Guidelines and the Affordable Care Act.
Barriers and Challenges facing Integration of Women’s Health Issues
The key barriers to integrating women’s health issues in a primary care setting involve the socio-economic and political influence on the implementation of the ideologies. Society plays a vital role in promoting the health of the feminine gender, such as cultural practices (Park & Zarate, 2019). The economy fosters a significant impact on the welfare of the ladies mainly because of the restraint in financial resource availability (Alexander et al., 2020). Another influential value is the political practice that gears the implementation of healthcare-based policies (Singh et al., 2017). Effectiveness in enhancing women’s welfare is a multifaceted phenomenon that depends on multi-sectoral participation in the actualization of the regulations.
The Contribution of APN Education on Preparing FNP Students on Women’s Health
The healthcare sector is an evolving institution that demands proficient research based on dynamic human activities. Therefore, the APN education boosts the knowledge base of the FNP students to enhance the efficiency in the development of treatment strategies for women in primary care settings. An excellent example includes the provision of adequate information for the patient to understand the significance of the prevention mechanism. Medical care effectiveness is a metaparadigm that encapsulates the utilization of the therapeutic environment as a treatment approach among women patients.
References
Alexander, L. L., LaRosa, J. H., Bader, H., & Garfield, S. (2020). New dimensions in women’s health (8th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Park, L. T., & Zarate Jr, C. A. (2019). Depression in the primary care setting. New England Journal of Medicine, 380(6), 559-568.
Prather, C., Fuller, T. R., Jeffries IV, W. L., Marshall, K. J., Howell, A. V., Belyue-Umole, A., & King, W. (2018). Racism, African American women, and their sexual and reproductive health: A review of historical and contemporary evidence and implications for health equity. Health equity, 2(1), 249-259.
Singh, G. K., Daus, G. P., Allender, M., Ramey, C. T., Martin, E. K., Perry, C.,… Vedamuthu, I. P. (2017). Social determinants of health in the United States: Addressing major health inequality trends for the nation, 1935-2016. International Journal of MCH and AIDS, 6(2), 139-164.
Xu, X., Ong, Y. K., & Wang, D. Y. (2020). Role of adjunctive treatment strategies in COVID-19 and a review of international and national clinical guidelines. Military Medical Research, 7(22), 1-18.