By Benjamin Ibarra
York College’s 9th annual Women’s Day Symposium addressed the growing concern of hypertension among younger individuals, particularly college students. A diverse panel of health professionals, including a dermatologist, obstetrician, physiatrist, and plastic and reconstructive surgeon, shared their expertise with the goal of empowering women in Southeast Queens with essential knowledge and resources for healthier lives.
Open to the public, the symposium offered attendees who agreed to a blood pressure screening by a York student nurse a free blood pressure machine. Nursing Club President Nicole Arana led the student nurses stationed at the entrance. Multiple blood pressure stations were followed by informative displays resembling science fair projects, covering topics such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes management, mental health, stress and anxiety management, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), breast cancer, and the use of Narcan Nasal Spray for opioid overdose emergencies.
“We focus on health advocacy and making health information easily understandable,” said Arana, “to encourage lasting lifestyle changes.”
A significant topic addressed at York College’s recent Women’s Day Symposium was alopecia, particularly traction alopecia, which disproportionately affects African American women due to prolonged tension from relaxers and tight hairstyles like braids and weaves.
Dermatologist Alexa Limes explained that this condition can lead to permanent hair loss characterized by hairline recession, breakage, and scalp inflammation, often accompanied by tenderness. Preventive treatment focuses on eliminating tension-based hairstyles and managing inflammation with topical steroids. Once damage becomes significant, the hair loss becomes irreversible. A patient will need to wait a year with no hair loss before hair transplantation becomes a viable option, according to Limes.
“So cutting back on the tension styling, chemical styling, you know, we don’t aim to knock these hairstyles, but decreasing the frequency with which you do these styles, can really help,” said Limes.
Next was Dr. Ateaya Lima, a psychiatrist from Jamaica Hospital, to discuss mental health and wellness for women. Lima said it was her honor to address the empowered women in attendance, building upon the previous speakers’ discussions of hair loss, breast cancer surgery, and hypertension – all significant life experiences.
Lima highlighted that while psychiatric conditions affect everyone, women face unique biological and societal pressures that contribute to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and vulnerability to trauma.
Her talk included premenstrual disorders, menopause-related mood changes, and perinatal mental health, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle changes, psychotherapy, mindfulness, and, when necessary, medication.
Dr. Janice Ascencio, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Jamaica Hospital, emphasized an integrative approach to women’s health that considers the various phases of a woman’s life. She highlighted the power of thoughts and words on overall well-being and encouraged women to make honest self-assessments to facilitate positive change.
Ascencio brought attention to the stark disparities in maternal mortality rates, stating that in New York City, the mortality rate for Black women is nine times higher than that for White women who are pregnant or have recently given birth. She stressed that this disparity persists across socioeconomic and educational levels, pointing to deep structural racism and the critical need for improved health literacy.
She detailed Jamaica Hospital’s “Elevate Her” program, a comprehensive pregnancy initiative designed to address various needs through integrated management of chronic diseases like diabetes, wellness care focusing on mental health, cardiovascular health management, oral health, community support via patient navigators and community health workers, lactation support, and doula services.
Further topics included the significance of understanding female anatomy, the biological clock of egg quantity and quality, the menstrual cycle and potential bleeding concerns, the evolving vaginal microbiome across different life stages and the importance of vaginal estrogen for postmenopausal women.
Regarding cancer screenings, Ascencio reaffirmed the recommendation for annual mammograms for women over 40 and encouraged self-breast examinations. She also strongly advised annual gynecological exams with Pap smears, noting a concerning rise in cervical cancer cases and highlighting the importance of HPV testing and vaccination (Gardasil 9), which is now recommended for a broader age range.
For ovarian cancer, she discussed risk factors, the vagueness of symptoms, and recent findings indicating that the CA-125 marker may be lower in Black and Alaskan Native women, potentially leading to later diagnoses.
In her concluding remarks, Ascencio reiterated the need for annual women’s health exams, including breast exams, bloodwork to assess for anemia, cholesterol, and sugar levels, and screening for sexually transmitted infections, emphasizing the importance of self-advocacy in healthcare.
York alumna Marcelle Dinnall, now the Downstate Lead Healthcare Advocate for the Healthcare Education Project, announced that next year’s Women’s Day Symposium is planned to be even bigger. Dinnall, whose first youth employment was at York College, noted the symposium was held in the institution’s Academic Core building, a structure that didn’t exist during her time as a student. The Healthcare Education Project provides the primary funding for the annual event.
“They have been able to bring in great speakers on great motivators to give people the information and the resources they need to motivate them to have fulfilled lives,” said New York State Senator Leroy Comrie, co-sponsor through the same Healthcare Education Project. “And that’s always important.”
