Live an active life 285
Protect yourself against pregnancy
and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
You can still become pregnant until your monthly bleeding has stopped
for one full year. To prevent unwanted pregnancy, you should continue to
use a family planning method until you have no monthly bleeding for one
whole year (12 months) (see page 188).
If you are using a hormonal method of family planning (the pill,
injections, or implants), stop using it around the age of 50. Use another
method of family planning without hormones until 12 months have
passed since your last monthly bleeding.
Unless you are certain neither you nor your partner
has an STI, including HIV/AIDS, be sure to use a
condom each time you have sex with a man—even if
you can no longer become pregnant.
Live an active life
Try to live your life as actively as you can. With assistance, either from a
person or with an aid, you can take a more active part in your family
and community and do more things you enjoy. Move around the
community and keep yourself mentally and physically active.
You can help to keep your mind active by reading or by
playing games with other people. Card games, games with
stones (Mancala), games with words (Scrabble), chess, or other
games popular in your community give you an opportunity to
enjoy yourself and to talk and be with other people. Help young people learn to
read, understand the history of their community, or with their school work.
You have a lifetime of wisdom and experience. Working together with families,
caregivers, and other elders in the community, older women with disabilities can be
very powerful.
Time to learn new things
Imelda from the Pallisa district in Uganda is 67 years old.
Recently she joined a universal primary education program
and went back to school. Now she can write and speak
English. The students at school like her and call her
Grandmum.
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007