Let’s make sure Women’s health keeps moving up the agenda
‘Just women’s problems’, ‘women’s issues’, and ‘women’s bits’ - all phrases I have heard women say were used when they have sought help from doctors. There are also times when the doctors seem embarrassed or uninformed, or are dismissive in other ways.
Then there are the statistics about the extent of health issues affecting women and often low percentage of women who get help. For example 1.5 million women have the painful condition endometriosis but many don’t get any help and diagnosis for those who get it often takes 8-10 years.
Historically the health and care system has been designed by men for men.
Now a shift could be happening. Women’s health is being spoken about a lot more and that has been a welcome commitment as part of the new Women’s Health strategy to "reset how the health and care system listens to women".
The strategy includes commitments on the expansion of women’s health-focused education and training for incoming doctors, improvements to fertility services, ensuring women have access to high quality health information. Also to updating guidance for health conditions that affect women, such as endometriosis, to ensure the latest evidence and advice is being used in treatment.
There is much that needs to be addressed. How did we get to a position where women’s health needs are overlooked and women’s voices are not necessarily heard? A change in culture is long overdue.
The new commitments are a result of women’s voices getting louder collectively, plus individual national campaigners and female MPs raising the many challenges for women in health care. There is an increasing amount of content on TV and on social media talking about women's health issues including a new TV series this week.
Commitments must be implemented and that will take resource. We must continue to argue and campaign to ensure this happens.
Let’s make sure we keep raising the voices of women and that we talk about women’s health. Share your voice - you can do this through Healthwatch Coventry and the Healthwatch network.
