Misinformation has sparked a new initiative from Come Together CK (CTCK).
The organization has started a Facebook Live series prioritizing women’s health, offering Chatham-Kent (CK) residents access to trusted sources for reliable answers.
The first event is set for Tuesday evening, and the main topics are menopause, perimenopause, and women's health.
“This new series is part of our commitment to ensuring that local women have access to trusted information, local expertise, and a safe space to talk openly about their experiences,” said event organizer Fannie Vavoulis.
The online event will include Dr. Jessica Smith, who is the newest Obstetrician/ Gynecologist with the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.
“I'm hoping to give some background knowledge on menopause and perimenopause so we can have everyone starting out on the same page, and then I'll be taking questions and we'll be going through whatever is on everyone's mind,” said Smith.
The Facebook live event will focus on spreading awareness and answering general inquiries, but will not focus on personalized treatment plans, Smith noted.
The idea was conceived after Vavoulis recognized the excessive amount of misinformation regarding menopause and perimenopause circulating online.
“There's so much out there in the age of social media and the internet that it's hard to know what's fact and what's fiction,” said Vavoulis. “These Facebook lives, we can have local information from a trusted source that we have a relationship with, and Dr. Smith, being from Chatham, working here in our own hospital in our own community, really creates that sense of trust.”
The initiative couldn't come at a better time, as October is World Menopause Awareness Month.
The live will begin at 7 p.m. and can be accessed on the CTCK Facebook page.
