Real Images Shines Light On A Common Struggle for Women
August 30, 2022
Alexander, Arkansas
Real Images announces Zankhana Patel, Athletic Trainer at OrthoArkansas, as event chair for the inaugural #SlashTheShame Power Walk and Run taking place September 10, 2022, at Lake Willastein Park in Maumelle, Arkansas. This event was developed to honor and show public support of women living with infertility issues, most notably PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) Awareness Month by giving attention to the community of women who struggle with infertility issues.
Patel wants to help bring awareness to an issue that is not only stigmatized among women, but also within other cultures. “The South Asian community has a lot of accent stigmas that need to be broken. One of them is the stigma against women living with infertility issues”, she said. “If a woman is having infertility issues, she is seen as a not so suitable wife to continue on a man’s family name. The community would make us feel as if it was our doing; something we could control. This is one of the biggest reasons I want to help bring awareness and support to this topic.”
Real Images founder and executive director, Michelle B. Barnes, had the idea for the event based on her own experience. “At 18 years old, I was diagnosed with endometriosis and PCOS. It was a sad moment for me and I carried a lot of shame for a long time, especially when people asked if I had children”, she said. “This is a topic long overdue to be discussed in our community and in our state.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), In the United States, women aged 15 to 49 years with no prior births, about 1 in 5 (19%) are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying (infertility). Also, about 1 in 4 (26%) women in this group have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term (impaired fecundity).
Registration for the event is $30. All event information and registration is on the Real Images website, www.realimages.org/slashtheshame. There is an update to the event’s original schedule. Check-in will begin at 8:00am, followed by the run/walk at 9:00am. The event will end with a small program at 10:00am.
Real Images was founded in 2014. The organization’s mission is to ensure that young girls and women are empowered and educated to become the healthiest versions of themselves through programs, scholarships, and service. Real Images provides networking events and self-care workshops for women, and curriculum-led self-image workshops for young girls.