As an inquiry into the disparity of health service provision to women begins this week, Ministers in the UK say there is “strong evidence” of a gender gap.
The Women’s Health Strategy will speak to women and girls over the next 12 weeks on a variety of issues, ranging from maternity care to mental health.
Nadine Dorries, minister for women’s health, said: “Women’s experiences of healthcare can vary and we want to ensure women are able to access the treatment and services they need.
“It’s crucial women’s voices are at the front and centre of this strategy so we understand their experiences and how to improve their outcomes.”
Patients have told the BBC they have felt overlooked in conditions like endometriosis, or procedures such a pelvic floor mesh.
There is less knowledge on female conditions and their treatment among clinicians. Despite the fact that they make up half of the population, female conditions are often considered a ‘niche’ area. Research shows that a large part of the problem is due to the fact that clinical trials have failed to take into account gender. Eight out of ten drugs that were withdrawn in the US between 1997 and 2000 were as a result of side effects in women.
While campaigners have welcomed the view, they say that it is still vital to listen to women’s views and act on them.
Gill Walton, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “We know that placing women at the centre of their own care not only improves outcomes in pregnancy, but also improves a woman’s experience of birth and maternity care.”
Mika Simmons, co-chair of the Ginsburg Women’s Health Board, filmmaker, and host of The Happy Vagina podcast, said: “Every single woman I speak to, myself included, has experienced either misunderstanding or loss as a direct result of slow or inaccurate diagnosis of their health concerns.
“I am delighted that this – the gender health gap – which grew out of a severe lack of historical research into women’s health issues, is not only finally being acknowledged but that steps are being taken to right size it.”
Source: BBC News
