Fighting for gender health equality: 3 ways women’s health is set to improve

Over 57% of women feel they aren’t diagnosed correctly after visiting a healthcare professional.¹

This is a big sign that women are still feeling the hangover from a historical lack of funding and research. Even in 2023 women are experiencing worse health outcomes and access to care than men.² It was not required by law to include women in clinical studies until 1993³ so a huge data and knowledge gap exists between the sexes. We won’t go into detail here about the shocking ways women are still being impacted by this, but an illuminating example is the knowledge gap that exists between heart attacks in men and women.⁴

Women have been forced to take things into their own hands through advocacy and innovation. A multitude of female-led companies have appeared over the last decade with the simple goal of improving health experiences for women. So, what exactly does the future of women’s health look like? Here are three areas we’re seeing big improvements.

 

Pain will no longer be the norm

Have you ever avoided a procedure or test because of the fear of pain? Thankfully one of the biggest areas currently being advocated for is ways to make women’s health procedures less painful. There is currently an alarming difference in the amount of pain women suffer during procedures unique to them compared to all other procedures. For example, a colonoscopy is routinely carried out with sedation, whereas no such pain relief is offered for a hysteroscopy, a similar procedure which can cause comparable levels of discomfort.

There are trailblazing organisations and individuals successfully raising awareness of this issue with the hope of changes being made so that women are routinely offered pain relief for painful procedures. Meanwhile, some spearheading companies are taking a different approach and innovating devices that can be used in such procedures that cause less pain.

Speed and ease of diagnosis will catch up with modern technology

Feeling frustrated at a doctor’s office is an experience most women can relate to. Getting a diagnosis for female-specific conditions can be a lengthy, complicated process, with many reproductive conditions currently taking years to diagnose. For example, endometriosis, a debilitating condition that affects 1 in 10 women, takes an average of 7.5 years to diagnose.⁵ Quicker and easier diagnosis is therefore clearly vital to the future of women’s health. At-home testing is one solution many companies are striving towards.

Increased awareness and support in the workplace will improve women’s quality of life

We spend so much of our time at work, yet the workplace has not been designed to accommodate the range of experiences women face throughout their hormone and life cycles. There are times when some women are in too much pain to sit at a desk all day, and for many women going through menopause, concentrating for a full working day can be a challenge. Almost a third of women have had to take sick leave because of symptoms like hot flushes, brain fog, disturbed sleep and anxiety that are due to female-specific conditions.⁶

Fortunately for many women, the pandemic led to more businesses allowing remote and flexible working, enabling them to work around the times they are in pain or experiencing severe hormonal symptoms. There are also companies dedicated to offering workplace training to support women through the stages of life, in particular menopause. One in ten women leave their jobs due to menopause symptoms,⁷ so understanding how to support women during this stage can help companies to retain valued employees.

We hope this trend continues as the stigma around women’s health is broken down in the workplace, helping women to live and work more comfortably.

 

References

1. Closing The Gender Health Gap. Livi. Accessible at: https://partners.livi.co.uk/hubfs/Livi%20Womens%20Health%20Strategy%20Whitepaper.pdf
2. Women’s Health Strategy for England. Department of Health & Social Care. Accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/womens-health-strategy-for-england/womens-health-strategy-for-england
3. History of Women’s Participation in Clinical Research. Office of Research on Women's Health. Accessible at https://orwh.od.nih.gov/toolkit/recruitment/history.
4. Women 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed after heart attack – study. The Guardian. Accessible at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/30/women-50-more-likely-to-be-misdiagnosed-after-heart-attack-study
5. It takes an average 7.5 years to get a diagnosis of endometriosis. Endometriosis UK. (2022). Accessible at https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/it-takes-average-75-years-get-diagnosis-endometriosis-it-shouldnt.
6. Pozniak, B. Making the workplace healthier for women. The Telegraph. Accessible at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/women-entrepreneurs/workplace-culture-must-support-womens-health/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_psc_ppc_dsa&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3YmMl4P4-AIVyuvtCh1Zowd4EAAYBCAAEgLBYvD_BwE.
7. Ng, K. One in 10 women have quit their job due to menopause. Independent. Accessible at https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/menopause-women-quit-jobs-hrt-b2069754.html