Women's Health Month: Dr. Barbara Stricker

This Women's Health Month, we are celebrating the incredible women who work tirelessly across our health system to improve the health and well-being of women everywhere.

Introducing Dr. Barbara Stricker, Obstetrician/Gynecologist at Sturdy Health:

I feel fortunate every day that I have chosen a career that gives me so much fulfillment. As physicians, we get to share patients' joy and their pain. We are honored that patients allow us to care for them when they are at their most vulnerable. They share with us their secrets. I am humbled by this every day.

Your work significantly advances the health of women, why is this is important to you?

I have been a caretaker for as long as I can remember. Becoming a physician was very natural for me. Gynecology was also an easy choice. When I was a teenager I received the book “Our Bodies Our Selves” from my older “cool” cousin. After reading "the book," I became the expert one who taught my friends about their bodies and their burgeoning sexuality. I became a peer counselor in college teaching women about contraceptives and empowering them to take control of their physical and mental health. In medical school, I was attracted to the diversity in OB-GYN. It was the specialty where you could deliver a baby in the morning and be scrubbing for a big cancer case in the afternoon.

I made a very wise choice. As I have gotten older I have become interested in different aspects of women's health. As a younger physician, I was very involved in adolescent care and care of pregnant women. As I have aged, my interest changed to helping women who need more complicated surgeries, urogynecology (incontinence and pelvic floor disorders,) and all aspects of the menopause and menopausal transition. At all phases, I hope I have been able to listen to what patients are telling me and give them the best care I am able.

If you could share one piece of advice for women about their health, what would it be?

If I could share one piece of advice for women about their health it is to advocate for themselves and make sure they get answers to the questions they have.

From scheduling regular checkups to living a healthy lifestyle, taking care of ourselves should always be a top priority. During Women's Health Month, let's educate ourselves on the common risks to our health, the symptoms to look out for, and when to seek medical attention. Knowledge is power, and knowing how to take care of ourselves is key to living a long and healthy life.

Click here to learn more about Pelvic Health & Urogynecology at Sturdy Health.