Actor Zhalay Sarhadi advocated for the importance of discussing women’s health openly to break the negativity that comes with society’s constant criticism of their bodies.
Rallying for how a woman’s body serves a greater purpose than reproduction, the 41-year-old actor opened up about her miscarriages, the health problems that followed and the intrusive questions that people ask her.
Sarhadi made a guest appearance at TV host Mathira’s talk show and revealed that she has had three “really bad” miscarriages so far – and unfortunately, she had to justify it by clarifying that it wasn’t through negligence on her part.
“When I tell people that I have a daughter, they ask me why did I not have more children. How am I supposed to explain to them that I’ve had three really bad miscarriages in my life, due to which I have hypothyroid now and they were not because I diet or exercise, they just happened to me,” Sarhadi said, adding that she can’t stop everyone curious about her reproductive journey and tell them her traumatic story.
The Jalaibee actor revealed that she had a miscarriage while shooting for the film. Recalling the mental, physical and emotional toll it took on her health, she continued, “My second last miscarriage gave me another kind of stress and trauma. At the time of Jalaibee, I was pregnant followed by a miscarriage and after the surgery, my body felt swollen up as well because of the hypothyroid – that I didn’t know about at that time. I thought it was high blood pressure since my mom has it. The fitness freak in me got it checked, otherwise, women don’t know of such after-effects.”
Sarhadi also discussed the social pressure on women to get married and have children, and how they are criticised for anything and everything. “From childhood to adulthood, everything about a woman is about her marriage. People judge us over our skin colour, our features, and even our weight, be it losing or gaining it. It’s important for artists to talk about issues that are usually swept under the rug,” she said.
The Aks actor, who also revealed having body dysmorphia, went on to explain how society makes everything taboo, including mental health issues. She emphasised the importance of seeking help from professionals when it comes to one’s mental health, just as they would for their physical health.
“Going to a psychologist or psychiatrist is a taboo. Your mental health is as important as your physical health, and for your physical health, you need a doctor. Similarly, for your mental health, you have other specialists like psychologists and psychiatrists that you need to go to. I have been to a psychiatrist,” she concluded.