What women really want re their health – and why they can’t always get it
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 found that the health system, researchers and the media mostly think about women’s health in terms of their reproductive health. However, there is a need to go ‘beyond the bikini line’ and focus on all aspects of women’s and girls’ health including conditions that affect only women and girls as well as those that affect them differently or disproportionately to men and boys.
The study, published in the 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.
Over 2200 women and girls completed a survey and interviews were conducted with health and social care experts including practitioners, policy makers and academics. The findings revealed many ‘silent’ health issues including:
- female sex-specific conditions such as endometriosis or menopause
- those more prevalent in women than men – like cardiovascular disease, violence, or depression
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.
The survey respondents reported:
- The condition/issue they were most concerned about was violence (57.6%).
- Cancer was perceived by the respondents to be the condition/issue that received the most funding (73.3%) and attention (70.7%).
- Women and girls need more information about mental health conditions (39.4%)
- Endometriosis (72.9%), depression (66.3%) and homelessness (79.0%) were identified by the respondents as the conditions/issues which needed more funding and support
The study findings highlight that the existing focus on women’s reproductive health has resulted in a lack of awareness and support for many conditions and issues which only, disproportionately or differently affect women and girls. However, as the study participants identified all health conditions and social issues affecting women needed more support and awareness and as one participant stated ‘women’s health does matter’. We need to hear, acknowledge and address the unique health conditions and social care issues affecting Australia’s women and girls.
