- Tuli Kamati
Public healthcare in Namibia is not perfect. It is stretched and under-resourced, but also staffed by people who are trying. to provide care, often within tight systems.
These are things I wish more patients knew before walking into a clinic or hospital for reproductive health concerns.
Firstly, you are entitled to respectful care. Something I often tell family members and friends is to ask questions, lots of questions. You have the right to ask what is happening to your body. You have the right to understand what medication you are being given. You have the right to privacy. If something is unclear, ask for clarification. It is not disrespectful to ask questions about your own health.
Secondly, prepare if you can. Health education is integral to empowering patients. For menstrual or reproductive concerns it helps to know:
- The date of your last period
- Whether your cycles are regular
- Any contraception you are using
- When your symptoms started
This information helps medics make decisions faster in busy settings.
Thirdly, severe symptoms are not something to downplay. Gynaecological emergencies can present as bleeding that soaks more than two pads per hour, severe abdominal pain with fever, fainting or dizziness, or foul-smelling discharge. These may signal complications that require immediate treatment.
Fourth, advocacy can be quiet but firm. As a reproductive justice activist, I know there are many ways in which women are systematically dismissed and not heard. Meanwhile the pain affects your daily life, treatment options are not available to you and the referral system is thinly stretched and backlogged. Especially for young women without the privilege of access to a private gynaecologist, speaking up for yourself can feel intimidating but your voice matters.
Finally, reproductive health is interconnected. Contraception is not only about preventing pregnancy. It can manage heavy bleeding, regulate cycles and reduce pain. Sexually transmitted infection screening, cervical cancer screening and menstrual health are part of the same continuum.
Our health system must continue to improve: we need more training, more research and more awareness. It must address stigma, economic disparities and long waiting times. But patients also deserve tools to navigate it with confidence.
Walking into a public hospital should not feel like surrendering your autonomy. It should be the beginning of informed, respectful care.
- Tuli Kamati is a clinician and reproductive justice activist. Follow her on Instagram @tuli_kamati.
