Call Your Doctor Day

Celebrated on the second Tuesday of June every year, Call Your Doctor Day is a reminder for all women to schedule their yearly health examinations.

If you've ever wondered about your family history of cancer, it's important to check with your doctor about those risks. If you are a woman, your risk of breast and ovarian cancer may be increased. Therefore, a gynecologist is an important profession and helps women everywhere understand their bodies and educates women about what is normal and what is not.

Call Your Doctor Day is all about preventive measures you can take to reduce those risks and possibly prevent cancer from entering your life. So where did this holiday come from? Let's learn about Call Your Doctor Day!

Why Call Your Doctor's Day?

It's a point worth pondering about how many of us have a good understanding of our family's health history. If you have a family history or risk of cancer, it's important to check with your doctor about the potential risk reduction you have to minimize. The risk of ovarian and breast cancer increases in women and so it is important for women to have regular check-ups to keep their bodies in check. The Well-woman exam focuses on examining women's health, assessing their risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Bright Pink, an organization dedicated to helping women lead healthy lives, reaches out to more than 52 million women around the world and advises them on their lifestyle choices, habits and health. Founded by Lindsay Avner, who had undergone a double mastectomy in 2007, the organization emphasizes the importance of focusing on one's health, especially for women. This day is one of many ways to spread awareness about the program and educate women about the need to be mindful of their lifestyle and health choices.

History of Call Your Doctor Day

The first major milestone in women's health came in 1921 with the arrival of the first successful tampon. The Kimberly-Clark company introduced Kotex (from the phrase 'cotton-like texture'), made from Cellucotton and developed during World War I as an ice material.

In 1916, the United States established the first birth control clinic in Brooklyn, New York. In 1931, New York-based gynecologist Robert Tilden Frank introduced the concept of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in his paper stating that premenstrual disorders are related to the ovarian cycle. Next, the first disposable tampon appeared in 1933 after Dr. Earle Haas patented it.

A breakthrough occurred in May 1960 when the FDA approved the sale of the first oral contraceptive, Enovid, also known simply as the Pill, manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Searle. Within two years, Enovid was interested in more than a million women in America.

Breast health saw advances when mammography was introduced in 1969 with the creation of low-radiation mammograms. And the first digital mammogram was approved in 2000.

In 1973, the United States Supreme Court ruled against state and federal restrictions on first-trimester abortions, finding them unconstitutional. Later, in 1999, the FDA finally approved the emergency contraceptive pill (Plan B) if being used in prescription. However, it took the FDA another seven years to approve Plan B to be available for over-the-counter sales to women over the age of 18. This age was lowered to 17 in July 2009.

Bright Pink, the NGO established Call Your Doctor Day by Lindsay Avner. She was the youngest woman in the United States to undergo a double mastectomy in 2007. Finally, on June 21, 2016, Bright Pink announced a Call Your Doctor Day to encourage women. Schedule an annual Wellness Women checkup.

Interesting facts about Call Your Doctor Day

• The first female doctor in America was Elizabeth Blackwell who graduated in 1849 from the Geneva Medical College in New York, with an MD.
• It was in 1916 when Margaret Sanger opened the first clinic for birth control in Brooklyn, NY.
• Premenstrual syndrome or PMS was identified by Robert Tilden Frank at first. He published a paper that linked these disorders to the ovarian cycle.
• It was in 1933 when disposable tampons were first introduced and patented by Dr. Earle Haas.
• It was in 1960 when Enovid, a birth control pill, was first approved by the FDA. And in just two years, almost a million women in the country have started using it.
• In addition to pregnancy, studies show that women are 33% more likely to see a doctor because they are very health conscious.
• Women 21 and older should check in with their gynecologist at least twice a year.
• Lisa Lindahl, a track and field athlete and a graduate student from the University of Vermont, invented the sports bra as we know it today to give more support to female athletes' breasts. She used the jostling of men for support.

How to celebrate Call Your Doctor Day

• Schedule an appointment

If you are a woman, call your nearest doctor and make an appointment to have your annual Women's Wellness Exam. If you're a man, encourage female family members to make appointments.

• Organize an event

Host an event in your area. Invite a local doctor and ask them to talk about the importance of regular checkups. Share some moments on social media.

• Do your research

Do your research on recent advances in the field of health and medicine. You can also talk to your doctor to gain more knowledge about potential health problems and how you can avoid them.