Why women’s health matters
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It sounds obvious, but women are different from men. Women and men experience life differently, both when they are healthy and when they are unwell. What might come as a surprise to you, though, is to learn that nearly all health research, health information and healthcare treatments approach women and men as if they were exactly the same. Think about this for a moment. Health care doesn’t take into account that women have menstrual periods and a uterus while men do not; that women have dominantly oestrogen but men have dominantly testoster one; or even that men have a prostate and women do not. It is blindingly obvious that different anatomies, different hormones and different genetics must impact health differently … and yet health care treats women and men as if they were exactly the same. As you’ll read in this chapter, the health differences between women and men – and among different groups of women – are caused by both biological and social factors. If we don’t have health care that takes into account these factors, we won’t achieve the best health and wellbeing for women (or men). Medical research provides us with the information we need to prevent, diagnose and treat health problems, but less than one-third of participants in medical research and drug trials are women. This means that most medical research has been done on men and then applied to women. This continues to happen even though we know that women often have different symptoms and experience different outcomes of health problems
from men, and that women respond differently to many medicines. As a result, many diagnoses, treatments and even prevention strategies aren’t as appropriate for women as for men. Women are often treated when there is little evidence supporting that treatment in women. In fact, some medicines that have been shown to be safe for men may be potentially dangerous for women. Research needs to include both women and men, and the results for women and men need to be analysed separately. This is the only way we will begin to answer questions such as why the rate of lung cancer in women is rising while the rate in men is falling, and why women who have heart attacks are more likely than men to die from them. So let’s start by outlining the differences between women and men:
Women are biologically different from men – this is the sex difference.
This means that women’s anatomy, physiology,
hormones and genetics are different. Because of these differences, some health conditions are more likely to affect women (such as osteoporosis, arthritis, migraines and depression), some health conditions affect women differently from men (such as schizophrenia and lung cancer), and women respond differently from men to some medicines (such as those used for anaesthesia, epilepsy and depression). Women’s biology also means that some health issues, such as endometriosis, pregnancy, menopause and gynaecological cancers, only affect them.
Women are positioned differently in society from men – this is the gender difference.
This means women are more likely than men to have a lower income, less secure employment, to be carers, and to be exposed to domestic violence. These differences have a profound impact on women’s health. For example, women are more likely than men to experience depression and anxiety, and this affects their relation ships and ability to function at work and in the community.
There are demographic differences between women that affect health.
Some women, such as those living in rural areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and women with disabilities, are at much higher risk of poor health.
A woman’s life stage also has a direct impact on her health.
Women’s health changes at each life stage, and having access to the right information and services at the right time helps them to make the best choices for their health. All these factors need to be considered together to help women access better health care and experience better health.
TAGS: women’s health,Women’s biology,affect women,health,health differences,health care
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| Why women’s health matters |
Women are biologically different from men – this is the sex difference.
This means that women’s anatomy, physiology,
hormones and genetics are different. Because of these differences, some health conditions are more likely to affect women (such as osteoporosis, arthritis, migraines and depression), some health conditions affect women differently from men (such as schizophrenia and lung cancer), and women respond differently from men to some medicines (such as those used for anaesthesia, epilepsy and depression). Women’s biology also means that some health issues, such as endometriosis, pregnancy, menopause and gynaecological cancers, only affect them.
Women are positioned differently in society from men – this is the gender difference.
This means women are more likely than men to have a lower income, less secure employment, to be carers, and to be exposed to domestic violence. These differences have a profound impact on women’s health. For example, women are more likely than men to experience depression and anxiety, and this affects their relation ships and ability to function at work and in the community.
There are demographic differences between women that affect health.
Some women, such as those living in rural areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and women with disabilities, are at much higher risk of poor health.
A woman’s life stage also has a direct impact on her health.
Women’s health changes at each life stage, and having access to the right information and services at the right time helps them to make the best choices for their health. All these factors need to be considered together to help women access better health care and experience better health.
TAGS: women’s health,Women’s biology,affect women,health,health differences,health care
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