Background

Women’s bodies often have separate medical needs than the general population, and they must be addressed as such. For many diseases that uniquely affect women, such as breast cancer, PCOS, ovarian cancer, and other diseases that women are more likely to get, such as UTIs, sexual health diseases, gynecological complications, timely interventions and preventative action can work wonders to aid a full and fast recovery. 

However, a majority of Indian women sorely lack access to such healthcare services and knowledge. Check-In aims to fill this gap by equipping women with knowledge about how to check in with their own bodies, and common diseases/illnesses to be on the lookout for. 

According to a joint study conducted by researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, and Harvard University, only 37% of women in India have access to healthcare, whereas the figure for men is 67%. This shows a clear disparity between the on-the-ground conditions for men and women who seek healthcare. The majority of the women who do not have access to healthcare come from rural, lower socioeconomic backgrounds. While this issue needs to be tackled institutionally, first steps may include greater access to educational material for women, through which they can learn more about their own bodies and the different diseases that they may be susceptible to. This creates a community of informed patients, and an informed patient is able to lobby for their cause, and seek out the specific medical intervention that they may require.