How You Can Help Close the Gender Health Gap

Listen to our Special Episode to learn more... 

                                           

Bridging the Gap

As we celebrate International Women's Day, it's vital to shine a light on a persistent and pervasive issue: the gender health gap in healthcare. Across Australia and globally, women continue to confront significant disparities in how their health concerns are addressed and understood. Recognising these disparities and advocating for systemic change are crucial steps towards closing the gap and ensuring equitable healthcare for all women.

Why It’s Important

Biological and gendered differences mean that women experience health issues and pain differently, yet these differences are frequently overlooked or underestimated in healthcare settings. This bias can delay crucial diagnoses and treatments, particularly for conditions like endometriosis, which notoriously takes years to be correctly diagnosed. Dr Sarah White, CEO of Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, highlights the severity of this issue: "Pain affects females differently. We have different pain receptors…We are different from (our) male counterparts. But where the gender part comes in is in how we are treated when we present to the doctor or the hospital system experiencing pain. A recent study found women were far more likely to be ignored or dismissed by their doctor when they turned up for pain.”

Cultural stereotypes about gender roles influence the care women receive, often leading to inadequate pain management strategies that compromise women’s health outcomes. Dr White explains, "Pain has been predominantly studied and medicines have been predominantly studied in males and men. So in fact, a lot of the medical research done to date has focused on not just men in clinical trials, but male laboratory animals, male cells. The animal subjects or animal models that are used are male because females, hormones “mess up the studies.” This affects every woman seeking medical care, potentially leading to misdiagnoses and the trivialisation of her medical concerns.

Shelly Horton’s story

TV presenter and vocal advocate for women’s health, Shelly Horton, exemplifies the challenges and triumphs in fighting the gender health gap. For years, her severe health symptoms were overlooked, attributed to stress or dismissed as psychological, a common experience for many women that underscores the systemic issues in healthcare. "I was misdiagnosed for years, with doctors dismissing my symptoms as 'just stress' or 'all in your head,'" Shelly recounts, illustrating the profound personal and professional impact of such neglect.

Motivated by her ordeal, Shelly channelled her frustration into advocacy, speaking at Parliament and participating in the first-ever parliamentary roundtable on menopause, which led to a Senate inquiry aimed to address the lack of understanding and adequate care regarding menopause in the healthcare system.

How It Affects Us All

When women's health needs are ignored or inadequately addressed, the repercussions ripple beyond individual distress to touch every aspect of society. The overlooked health issues lead not only to personal hardship but also to broader economic challenges. Workplaces feel the impact as well, where untreated health conditions can lead to more days off work, lessened productivity, and increased healthcare spending. On a more personal level, the struggle for appropriate care can profoundly affect mental wellbeing, increasing stress and placing additional strains on family dynamics and community connections. It’s essential to recognise that supporting women’s health is more than a personal concern; it’s an investment in the wellbeing of our entire community – and fortunately, one that is slowly starting to see some change.

Explains Dr Romy Listo, Deputy Chair of the Australian Women's Health Alliance, “I think there is so much energy and a movement at the moment behind better supporting women and gender diverse people in the workplace with the reproductive health issues that they're experiencing, one of those being menopause, and making sure that we have the right settings and the right rights and entitlements in our workplaces as well to be able to support everyone to work."

How You Can Help

Empowerment starts with information. Sharing credible information and personal stories on social media can raise awareness and start conversations. Here’s how you can further make a difference:

• Advocate for change: Contact local representatives or join support groups focusing on women’s health rights to advocate for better health policies.
• Educate and engage: Participate in or organise community talks to educate others about women's health issues. Creating awareness is the first step towards change.
• Support workplace policies: Encourage your workplace to adopt policies that acknowledge and support women’s health needs, like flexible working hours or educational programmes about menopause.

How You Can Help Yourself

Taking proactive steps towards better health is empowering and essential. Here are some practical ways to ensure you are prioritising your wellbeing:

• Schedule regular health screenings: Keep up with health screenings that are critical for women, such as mammograms, cervical screenings (Pap tests), and bone density tests as you age.
• Choose supportive health and wellness services: Select health and wellness services that understand and cater to the unique needs of women. Fernwood Fitness exemplifies a place where women's health is prioritised, offering specialised programmes that focus on key areas like pelvic floor strength and hormonal balance. Engaging with services that understand and cater to women's health can significantly enhance your health journey.
• Support and participate in women’s health advocacy: Engage with community groups or online forums that focus on women's health advocacy. These platforms can provide support, education, and updates on policies affecting women’s health.

The Way Forward

Comprehensive healthcare reforms are needed to address the unique aspects of women’s health. We have an opportunity to transform how we think about and manage women’s health, not just behind closed doors, but as a society committed to equality.

This International Women’s Day, let's recommit to advocating for women’s health equity. It is not merely a women’s issue; it is a fundamental matter of human rights and fairness in healthcare.

Learn more from our experts on women’s healthcare by listening to our special International Women’s Day episode on the Thriving in Menopause podcast here.

Prevention Australia: proudly championing women’s healthcare rights, supported by our sponsor Fernwood Fitness.