Women and Girls need more than just reproductive health care

It’s International Women’s Day on 8 March – the one day of the year when women and girls can shine a light on inequitable treatment in a range of areas, including health care. A recent Australian study has revealed that when it comes to treating women and girls, the health system is focused on our reproductive organs to the inclusion of everything else.

Photo by Patty Brito on Unsplash

The most comprehensive study of the health conditions and social issues affecting women and girls in Australia has just been published by Monash University researchers and the Sisterhood Foundation. It reveals that women’s and girls’ health is often overlooked, underfunded, and misunderstood.

The study, published in the journal BMC Women’s Health and led by Dr Sara Holton and Professor Helen Skouteris, is an Australian first study involving a survey, interviews and a review of current research funding and publications as well as media articles.

The findings revealed many ‘silent’ health issues for women and girls. Female sex-specific conditions such as endometriosis and menopause are not receiving the attention they deserve. Conditions which are experienced by both sexes but are more prevalent in women, such as cardiovascular disease, family violence and depression, receive more funding however, only a small percentage of this money goes to women’s health related research.

According to Dr Holton, many health conditions and social issues affecting women and girls lack understanding, recognition and support. “This ‘silence’ has resulted in discrepancies and adverse consequences for women’s and girls’ equitable access to health care, outcomes and research participation,” she said.

Katie McLeish, CEO the Sisterhood Foundation, said the study’s findings highlighted that “many women and girls feel unheard or dismissed when it comes to their health issues, and are calling for greater attention and support for issues that only, differently, or disproportionately affect them and we need to listen”.

Of the more than $3.5 billion of Australian research funding allocated in 2023-2024, only 3.3 per cent supported women’s health related research. Of this, more than half was allocated to research about health conditions that only affect women, such as their reproductive health including pregnancy, and gynaecological cancers, but many conditions were overlooked including those that affect women disproportionately or differently to men (i.e. chronic kidney disease, depression, violence) received the least funding.

Professor Skouteris said: “The historical ‘one size fits all’ approach to health is based on data collected predominately by and about men, tends to generalise research findings and care to both men and women, and reflects gendered notions and structures of health, which often include assumptions about women’s bodies and health and limited recognition of their unique health needs.”

Women are more likely than men to be misdiagnosed or dismissed due to their symptom presentation, be diagnosed and receive treatment later, and have multimorbidity (multiple illnesses). They are also less likely to receive the care required and participate in health research, the study concluded.

As females we didn’t need a study to tell us that our health complaints are not taken seriously by the medical profession. I’m not sure how many International Women’s Days it will take to bring about real change in the doctor’s office.