Hushed conversations?

This month one of my friends got another bout of the big C and she kicked it in the Ass. Yes, exactly there.

Cancer often hits women at places it hurts more and she had it both the times in those organs. She got one of her breasts amputated this time and called me the very next day of her surgery. Sounding as cheerful as ever. Her husband and two adult sons taking care of her very well, I decided to visit when she might need my kinda help. So when I went to have a chat after a couple of days, I saw her walking freely around the house with her Kurta slit open completely from one side, a drainage pipe jutting out of a bandaged right chest . Bindaas about how she is looking with one breast hanging like a vestigial organ now and another gone for a toss. I got my dose of happiness seeing her that day. Absolutely nonchalant about a woman's pride or Lajja so to speak.

I particularly want to write about how her nonchalance towards sexually relevant organs and functions has made her attitude balanced so she finds it easier to deal with other more health relevant issues.

Blogadda has a weekend blogging contest with the subject "Taking conversations beyond low pitch whispers", and this friend of mine came to my mind immediately. Just as an example. This contest is sponsored by a product that talks about women empowerment. Through vaginal muscle tightening. Does that sound like a joke? It is. No one has heard of an empowered virgin. Period. Empowerment is not dependent on a muscle. But I am not talking about that.

Women's health issues are called intimate issues. It should not be like that I believe. Health issues are never intimate, they need to be addressed in the most appropriate manner and as openly as a migraine or a cough and cold.

I wonder why many women have to suffer in silence. Any issue with a hint of sexual relevance is not a welcome conversation in the family or even with doctors.We are a country where most rural women still don't know they should get help when it hurts. Most urban women don't care when it hurts. In both cases they are convinced 'other issues' are more important.

For the urban woman, unfortunately, cosmetic reasons are becoming more and more important it seems. The efforts to look fairer, younger and more and more sexually attractive are often the priority and all health issues are ignored. Eating disorders are rampant among all age groups of women (and men) just in a quest to look younger and skinny and skin and hair treatments and liposuction and rhynoplasty are given more importance than going for a Mammography or a PAP smear. Even when something uncomfortable has been bothering them for long. Looking and feeling younger has become more of a sex appeal that one must have.Or so it is apparent when you see such ad campaigns claiming to make a woman 'feel like a virgin'.

While the mention of virginity is bullshit for such an ad campaign, I would not go into that as I said.

I felt outraged at the thought of a product which could be good for a woman's health on another level and it is just reduced to be a  virginity restoring product. Just because the marketing gurus thought the quest for the sex appeal could be harvested well to market such a product. Unfortunate I believe. And a hypocrisy too.

A product that tightens the vaginal muscles should be addressing some important health concerns for women in the middle age. I see an older woman dialing to order the product to 'feel like a virgin' in this ad film. How much more stupid it could be?

Isn't that a hushed as well as 'dolled up' tone for a larger health concern that should have been addressed more importantly?

Women of older age suffer from Urinal incontinence and Uterine prolapse. While Urinal incontinence is addressed in the last of the 9 benefits of the product listed, Uterine prolapse, which is a larger and equally rampant issue, has been ignored completely. The first 4 points listed in the advert, point at the benefits regarding sexual efficiency. Does that empower a woman ? Or the catch line of this video singing 'feel like a virgin' makes a woman want to feel empowered?

When one can't talk about a product useful for Urinal  incontinence and Uterine prolapse, one talks of 'feeling like a virgin'. Diluting the health concern and hushing the tone, dolling it up to sing a song of 'virginity'. How bad in taste. That too for a contest that would be aimed at addressing the 'low pitch whispers' of women's sexual health.

The product, if it really works, could solve the problems of many women, young and old who suffer from the above two conditions. The 'Virgin' angle is a marketing gimmick of a very cheap kind that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Makes me cringe at the creativity of our new age advertisers. Efficacy of the product and listing of the proper active component is another issue that needs attention.

I see no problems with the product even if it is used to feel like a virgin. After all such products and practices have been in vogue since the time of Vedas. And there are other products for men's sexual health and enhancement whose marketing and advertising never raised an eyebrow.

Why the advertisers are not addressing the greater health issues and are positively making a mockery of women's reproductive health?