Courtney George, a second year at Ohio State, has launched a new, informative group that focuses on educating women about their bodies and personal health. BuckeyeFEMM, as the group is called, stems from the FEMM (Fertility Education and Medical Management) Health Center, located right on High Street. Courtney has worked diligently to bring awareness to Ohio State students about women’s health issues by building a community of advocates right here on campus. Read on to find out how you can get informed and get involved!
On October 4, 2014, BuckeyeFEMM will be having their very own 5K Run at Freedman Park. The event will begin at 9 a.m. and will feature raffles, free refreshments and prizes for the 5K participants from well known locations, such as Chipotle and Aladdin’s Eatery.
Name: Courtney George
Major/Minor: Food Science Major, German Minor
Year: 2nd Year
Hometown: East of Detroit, Michigan
Hobbies: Cooking, Swimming, Running, Yoga, Scrap booking, gardening and reading
HC: What is BuckeyeFEMM and what are the organization’s goals?
CG: The questions we always ask at BuckeyeFEMM is “I am educated, but do I really know how my body works?” The ideas about women and their bodies are outdated and need a scientific and medical upgrade. Our mission is to help students at OSU understand their bodies, their reproductive health and hormonal activity and all issues affecting women’s health and well being. By means of events, interactive group discussions, speakers etc. BuckeyeFEMM desires to bridge the gap between students and the FEMM Health Center as well as foster a more health-savvy student body for this generation .
HC: How did you get involved with FEMM?
CG: I met the women from FEMM at the Union the first week of my freshmen year, last year, as they were passing out flyers. I soon came to learn what FEMM does with educating and naturally treating women for their hormonal imbalances, instead of ignoring it or dispensing a quick fix pill. I soon became very interested and asked if I could be an intern with them at their High street center, which I started doing weekly. My job was to figure out how to engage the student community with FEMM and the services it offers to women. I began doing presentations to student organizations, but I soon realized that the ideas FEMM present are completely new and foreign to many people; one presentation does not fully eradicate anyone from the generations of ignorance about women’s health, which I and most women have been raised with.
HC: What is your role now with BuckeyeFEMM?
CG: I, along with other student clients of FEMM, decided my second semester at OSU to form a student organization, which would begin with events the following year. As of now I am the President and Founder of BuckeyeFEMM, but I could not have done it without my amazing exec board and the ladies at FEMM.
HC: Why is women’s health important to you?
CG: There have been many studies conducted on the link between women’s well-being and the well-being of a community. I believe that if women are healthy, fed and happy, then the entire community will thrive, because the woman usually passes down her wealth and knowledge to the next generation, continuing the prosperity in that community. I also understand and believe that women’s fertility has been a tool in the systemic oppression of women, instead of a celebrated, natural part of her being. On a more personal level though, I had no idea the extent that a woman’s cycle plays into her overall health until I began taking FEMM classes and training to be a FEMM teacher. Throughout my education and charting, I soon learned that I had mild PCOS, just like my aunt, something which I would never discover until I became infertile or diabetic at age 50, like many women currently do. This revelation really opened my eyes to the lack of knowledge told to most women about what her cycle and period should look like. I identify as a woman and I want to be healthy. If those two statements apply to anyone reading this you need to check out FEMM and BuckeyeFEMM.
HC: What are ways OSU students can become involved in BuckeyeFEMM?
CG: Any student can email me to get updates on our events and meetings obviously. We meet monthly on Tuesdays at the FEMM Health Center which is located on 1872 N High St. All students are welcome to join BuckeyeFEMM; we are definitely not ones to discriminate. I am very excited, as well, to announce that we have a table at the Women’s Sexual Assault Fair occurring at Knowlton Plaza from 5-10 p.m. October 11. Also, any student can simply walk into the Health Center next to Insomnia Cookies and ask questions and get involved. They also offer any women’s health service one may need, such as STI testing, Ultrasounds, Paps etc.
HC: Why do you think women’s health is such an important issue in today’s society?
CG: Basically, very few people are really trying to answer women’s questions about their bodies from a scientific and medical standpoint. So often in conversations and politics do stereotypes, prejudice and ignorance dominate the decisions that are made about women’s health. We believe that women need informed consent about their bodies and medical services before they can make a decision that could affect their current and future health; so often is this consent not attained.