Women’s health issues have long been an underfunded area of research compared to other health-related topics, which puts women at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing quality care and treatments. This is particularly concerning given the unique challenges that women face, such as a higher risk of certain diseases and the impact of gender-based discrimination on access to healthcare. To truly understand and support women’s health, we need to take a closer look at this often unseen side of women’s health.

Underfunding Of Research

Although research has improved in recent years, there is still a significant gender gap in funding and attention when it comes to women’s health. A 2021 report following a House of Lords debate on the gender health gap looked into why there was such a disparity, with Irving Zucker stating that women have often been excluded from clinical trials based “on unfounded concerns that female hormone fluctuations make women difficult to study”. This means that there are fewer perspectives from the female point of view, which may lead to problems being overlooked or inappropriately addressed when health concerns present differently in women.

Women’s Symptoms Are Often Milder

Men and women may experience the same disease in different ways. Women, on average, have milder symptoms than men, and this may make the disease harder to detect. For example, women are less likely to experience severe chest pain during a heart attack, which can delay the diagnosis and treatment. So, women may not even realise that they have problems with heart disease. 

How To Detect Signs Of Early Disease?

Early detection is key to managing and treating diseases and managing women’s health says this Invisalign dentist in West Point. Unfortunately, there is a lack of awareness around the importance of women getting tested regularly to screen for various diseases. In order to provide proper care, it’s important for women, especially those over 40, to undergo a female health assessment, such as The Cullinan Assessment developed by Echelon Health, which takes a closer look at their body to help detect the early signs of health conditions.

What We Can Do To Improve Women’s Health

Women face many challenges when it comes to their health and access to care, but there are things we can do to help improve women’s health. We need to take a closer look at the unique challenges faced by women, particularly in terms of funding and research. We can also look at how diseases affect women differently and then use this knowledge to help improve their health. There are many ways we can support women’s health, but one of the most important things we can do is to end the gender discrimination that women face in accessing healthcare. This includes providing more resources to research women’s health and making sure that women get the same care and attention as men.

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